Three Rivers Episcopal

Expatriate Christians from Bahrain address EU Parliament

2012-01-27T15:03:00.002-05:00

From Bahrain-

Expatriate representatives of several Christian Churches and congregations (including Catholic, Anglican, Protestant and Coptic Orthodox) living in Bahrian spoke at a conference in the European Parliament on Thursday on the topic of "Christians in Muslim Lands: The Example of Bahrain." The event was hosted by Dutch MEP Cornelis De Jong and organized by the think tank Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF).

A press release by the HRWF today said the speakers at the conference described a state of religious tolerance and a positive image which Christians enjoy in Bahrain, a Muslim state. "Bahrain is a positive example and an unmatched model of peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians in the Islamic world and within the Arabic Peninsula," stressed Cornelis de Jong.

In describing the constitution and social relations within the small island kingdom, Willy Fautre, director of HRWF, hailed the level of religious freedom in Bahrain.
"The constitution recognises the rights of residents alongside those of citizens and respects the sanctity of places of worship," he noted.

More here-

http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2217664&language=en

Event to urge clergy to care for themselves

2012-01-27T07:23:00.002-05:00

From Central PA-

The very characteristics that endear clergy to their congregations — constant availability, patient listening, wise counsel and heartfelt praying — sometimes can wear them out.

The Rt. Rev. Nathan D. Baxter, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, has called Episcopal clergy together to address those issues Feb. 6-8 at its 2012 Winter Clergy Conference at Holiday Inn Harrisburg East, Swatara Township.

Using the theme “Caring For Ourselves So That We May Care For Others,” the conference for Episcopal clergy will focus on the clergy’s duty to take care of themselves so they can minister to others.

Baxter said the diocese has received a grant from the Pennsylvania Episcopal Widows Corp. to design and host a two-year pilot project on clergy wellness.

More here-

http://blog.pennlive.com/life/2012/01/event_to_urge_clergy_to_care_f.html

Church gets first building

2012-01-27T07:15:00.002-05:00

From Dallas-

After more than six years of holding services in sporadic locations, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church has a place to call its own.

The church, which has grown from 12 to about 300 members in that time, this week moved into its new, 9,500-square-foot building, at 6400 McKinney Ranch Parkway in McKinney.

"This is just the first phase of our plan," said Rev. Mike Michie, one of the church's founders. "We have 11 acres of land that really affords us to build a pretty substantial campus."

Church members are likely satisfied just with the beginning, though. They no longer have to meet at the McKinney YMCA every Sunday or guess where their weeknight meetings will be.

Construction began in July 2011 for the new building, which includes a worship center, classrooms and a nursery. The congregation held a capital drive about two years ago and raised enough money for the initial phase.

"That's why this move is so thrilling for us," Michie said. "We haven't had our own place since we started."

The Diocese of Dallas, its Bishop, Rt. Rev. James Stanton, and its church planting commission in May 2005 called Michie to be the founding vicar for St. Andrew's in McKinney. Michie, previously Vicar of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Houston, moved to the city a few months later with his wife, Laurie, and three daughters, Kellie, Jennifer and Mariana.

More here-

http://www.scntx.com/articles/2012/01/26/news_update/7902.txt

The controversy that won't go away

2012-01-27T07:11:00.002-05:00

From Indiana-

The recent decision of the Vatican to establish a special diocese in the United States for Episcopal converts to Catholicism has re-opened discussion on several old points of contention.

Among them is the decisions of the Catholic Church to allow married Anglican and Episcopal priests to be ordained on an individual basis in 1980, and the more recent allowance for entire Episcopal parishes to convert en masse in 2009.

The decisions to allow married Anglican and Episcopal priests to convert along with their parishes and subsequently be re-ordained as Catholic priests are not attempts to “steal sheep,” according to the Catholic Church.

Rather, they are a munificent response to a growing sentiment in the Anglo-Catholic portion of the Episcopal community that their denomination is headed in the wrong direction — that is, in the liberal Episcopal acceptance of female and openly gay priests and recognition of gay marriage.

More here-

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=85119

Episcopal convention to bring 10,000 to Salt Lake City in 2015

2012-01-27T07:08:00.001-05:00

From Salt Lake City-

The Episcopal Church has selected Salt Lake City as the site for its 2015 General Convention, an event that will bring approximately 10,000 people and generate $9.23 million in spending.

The event, June 19-July 6, will utilize all components of the Salt Palace Convention Center, which will host exhibits, workshops and various committee meetings.

The convention is a bicameral legislative and business meeting that has been staged every three years since 1785.

Lori Ionnitiu, general convention manager of the Episcopal Church, has worked with Visit Salt Lake on various conventions since 1998.

More here-

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/53383732-79/convention-salt-lake-episcopal.html.csp

If you had it all to do over again

2012-01-26T07:51:00.002-05:00

From The "You Can't Make This Stuff Up Department" New Jersey division-

Every time I write one of these columns for the paper, I hold my breath — not knowing for sure how it’s going to look in print. A good rule of thumb is that ministers should probably steer clear of the media, as was proven by this one, recently widowed Episcopal priest who simply wanted to place an ad in the local newspaper. But this is how it appeared:

"The Rev. A. J. Garven has one TV set for sale. Call 789-8989 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him" — and that’s where Rev. Garven put a period mark so the next word of the next sentence would stand out all by itself: "cheap." All done, end of ad.

Unfortunately, the newspaper left out the period, and so the ad actually appeared: "The Rev. A. J. Garven has one TV set for sale. Telephone 789-8989 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him cheap."

Tuesday’s paper immediately offered a correction: "We regret any embarrassment to Rev. Garven caused by a typographical error in yesterday’s paper. It should have read: ‘Rev. Garven has one TV set for sale cheap. Call 789-8989 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him after 7 p.m.’"

Wednesday’s paper tried again: "Rev. Garven informs us that he has received several annoying telephone calls because of an incorrect ad in yesterday’s paper. It should have read: ‘A. J. Garven has one TV set for sale cheap. Call 789-8989 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who [and then a careless typing mistake: the word l-i-v-e was mistyped into l-o-v-e] who loves with him.’"

Thursday’s paper posted a response directly from the minister: "Please take note that I, Rev. Garven, have no TV set for sale. I have smashed it. Don’t call 789-8989 any more. I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Donnelley." Alas, for a second time, that’s where Rev. Garven put a period so his next sentence would begin: "Until yesterday, Mrs. Donnelley was my housekeeper." No such luck. Without the period mark the two sentences running together came out: "I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Donnelley until yesterday…"

More here

http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/138103518_If_you_had_it_all_to_do_over_again.html

New questions, challenges confront Episcopal-turned-Catholic leader

2012-01-26T07:46:00.002-05:00

From Catholic News-

Father Jeffrey N. Steenson is finding that there are a lot of new roads to travel and new questions to resolve since his Jan. 1 appointment as head of the Houston-based Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter for former Anglicans who want to become Catholics.

The former Episcopal bishop of the Rio Grande, who was ordained a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, N.M., in February 2009, was to be installed in his new post Feb. 12. Also in February, a class of about 40 former Episcopal priests will begin an intensive, Internet-based course of studies to become Catholic priests within the ordinariate.

Father Steenson and his wife, Debra, have three grown children and a grandson. Because he is married, he will not be ordained a bishop, but he will become a full voting member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

He spoke to Catholic News Service during a busy day Jan. 22 at Mount Calvary Church in Baltimore, where he celebrated Mass, received a group of parishioners into the Catholic Church, performed a baptism and led an evensong service.

More here-

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1200322.htm

Episcopal Diocese to meet in Augusta next week

2012-01-26T07:43:00.002-05:00

From Georgia-

More than 300 Episcopal church leaders from across southern and coastal Georgia will gather in Augusta next week for The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia’s 191st convention.

Delegates of the church will elect officers, approve a 2012 budget and pursue a new capital and congregational development campaign called A New Era of Mission.

The program aims to reverse the declines in membership the Episcopal Church has experienced over the past 40 years, said the Rev. Frank Logue, the assistant to the bishop of the Diocese of Georgia.

“It focuses on nine areas of funding, nine priorities for us,” he said.
The initiatives aim to increase the membership of congregations throughout the diocese by 5 percent in five years. Churches are also tasked with promoting outreach so that each congregation has at least one signature ministry.

While in Augusta, the delegates will meet for two worship services that are open to the public.

More here-

http://chronicle.augusta.com/life/your-faith/2012-01-25/episcopal-diocese-meet-augusta-next-week?v=1327505638

Anglican network starts campaign for birth registrations

2012-01-25T07:31:00.002-05:00

From The Christian Century-

In industrialized nations, a birth certificate is taken for granted, even regarded as a bit of tedious bureaucracy. But in the developing world, the existence of such a record can mean the difference between full participation in citizenship, or barely living.

That's why the International Anglican Family Network (IAFN) has launched a global campaign to register births. The network is calling on Anglican churches to partner with government and other agencies to ensure that babies born in 2012 and after are registered.

"More than just a legal formality, birth registration opens the door to education and healthcare," the IAFN said in a recent news release. "Without it, people may not be able to obtain a passport, own a house or land, or marry."

The network points out that more than one-third of children never have their births registered, "and so are significantly disadvantaged in their childhood as well as in their adult life. They are officially invisible; in a sense they do not exist."

Among the worst outcomes for someone whose birth was never recorded is that they are easily exploited in human trafficking, and as child soldiers and laborers, said the IAFN's Ian Sparks.

In its latest newsletter, IAFN makes clear the problems that can work against birth registration. For example, in Papua New Guinea, registrations are paltry because families have to travel long distances to log a birth. The result there is that only one per cent of the 260,000 children born each year are registered.

More here-

http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-01/anglican-network-starts-campaign-birth-registrations

Agencies launch county diaper bank

2012-01-25T07:25:00.002-05:00

From Chicago-

A group of local agencies have launched the new Diaper Bank Partnership of Lake County.

The program is an extension of the St. Paul Diaper Bank Partnership started in 2009 in McHenry County by The Rev. Jim Swarthout, former rector of St. Paul Episcopal Church in McHenry. Swarthout now serves as the secretary for the National Diaper Bank and is the executive director of the Samaritan Interfaith Counseling Center of the Northwest Suburbs.

Swarthout said he began organizing a diaper bank after an individual came into the food pantry of his church. While the person was getting food, Swarthout held the baby and noticed the baby needed to be changed.

He told the woman and she said her family could only afford two diapers a day, so she had to clean out the diaper and put it back on the baby. Swarthout began doing research and came across a diaper bank in New Haven, Conn., which he used to start the bank in McHenry County.

“The idea of a diaper bank is to support a person in need during a difficult time,” Swarthout said.

Chaplain Sam Martinez of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Lake Barrington, also congregational coordinator and Hispanic liaison, said the need for diapers in Lake County was brought to attention by the community.

More here-

http://newssun.suntimes.com/news/10186784-418/agencies-launch-county-diaper-bank.html

Churches reach out to help the unemployed

2012-01-25T07:23:00.001-05:00

From ENS-

Three years ago Martice Scales, 24, a boxer, musician and unemployed ex-felon in Racine, Wisconsin, had no job prospects and even less hope.

Then a former teacher referred him to the Racine Vocational Ministry (RVM), an outreach of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and other local agencies and Scales has been on the fast track ever since.

He’s been promoted twice, supervises five employees and currently manages retail operations at a fair trade store at the HOPES Center, which offers social services to impoverished Racine residents.

“I started out as a late night barista,” he recalled. “Within a few months, I was full-time barista and then I got supervisory positions. I could tell they were grooming me for leadership; they were giving me more and more opportunities,” he said during a Jan. 19 telephone interview from Racine.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/01/24/churches-reach-out-to-help-the-unemployed/

New Bishop of Bradwell prepares to be installed

2012-01-24T07:17:00.002-05:00

From The BBC-

The Venerable John Wraw, 52, will be consecrated as a Bishop at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday and then be installed in his post on Sunday.

The former Archdeacon of Wiltshire, succeeds the Right Reverend Dr Laurie Green who retired in February 2011.

The Episcopal area of Bradwell, within the Diocese of Chelmsford, includes 145 parishes across south and east Essex.

Among the places it covers are Chelmsford, Southend, Basildon, Brentwood, Tilbury Docks, Maldon and the Dengie Peninsular.

Mr Wraw said: "One of the real joys of the last few months has been getting into contact with people who I've not had contact with for 10 or 20 years.

"[It's allowed me to] realise how many people have helped shape me for my ministry."

Mr Wraw, who was ordained 27 years ago, will become the fifth person to hold the post.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-16679223

British rector jumps through U.S. hoops to work at Paoli parish

2012-01-24T07:13:00.002-05:00

From Philadelphia-

Somewhere on the cold Atlantic, the Rev. Richard T. Morgan's books, furniture, frying pans, summer clothes, and other trappings of his life in England are making their way to America.

"I'm told it will take about six weeks," said Morgan, 41, sitting in his nearly empty office at Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli.

That seems an eye blink compared with how long it took him, his wife, and five children to cross the pond. The Morgans arrived here last week - 13 months after the parish chose him as its new rector in December 2010.

He will be installed Saturday and celebrate his first Eucharist service Sunday.

"I had supposed we'd be here last Easter," he said.

But Morgan and the evangelical, conservative parish discovered that a Greater Power had to bless his ministry in the United States.

Not the Father, but the Uncle. Uncle Sam.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) takes a longer, closer look these days at foreign clergy seeking permanent residence. Those who pass muster must then seek visas, which can also take months.

More here-

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/137936408.html

History is Made Again as U.S. Ordinariate Receives First Parish

2012-01-24T07:07:00.001-05:00

From Catholic Online-

Mount Calvary Episcopal Church has been waiting a long time to be received into the Roman Catholic Church. They have had to watch other parishes come in while remaining patiently in a holding pattern until property issues were worked out. 34 parishioners were received on Sunday. Their Rector, Jason Catania and Associates, David Reamsnyder, Anthony Vidal and Dr. John Huntington will begin pre-ordination formation toward being ordained as Catholic priests.

While parishes have previously been received into the Catholic Church in anticipation of the new Anglican Ordinariate, history was made on Sunday, January 22 when the first parish was received by the Ordinary of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Since the Ordinariate's canonical structure is still being established, the parish remains under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore for the time being.

Mount Calvary Episcopal Church, who had voted to join the Ordinariate in October 2010, had to wait until their property issue with the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland was settled. Fortunately, they were eventually able to keep their building and ended up as the first parish received by the new Ordinary. Their reception took place Sunday morning with a packed out church of parishioners and supporters from the Episcopal and Catholic world in attendance.

More here-

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=44514

Anglican Bishop tells Christians to participate in politics

2012-01-23T07:15:00.003-05:00

From Ghana-

Christians have been advised to actively participate in the country’s political process, and elect people with integrity and high moral values as leaders to enhance the development of the country.

They have also been cautioned to reject people who incite violence with the evil agenda to divide the country along religious and ethnic lines for their political agenda.

The Right Reverend Bishop Jacob Kofi Ayeebo, made the appeal at his enthronement and installation as the Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale on Sunday.
He was installed by the Right Reverend Abraham K. Ackah, Anglican Bishop of the Wiawso Diocese.

Bishop Ayeebo, who was born in 1960 and joined the Christian faith in 1976, served as assembly member for Bawku West District, Chairman, Bawku Naaba Educational Endowment Fund, Chairman, Board of Governors, Clinical Health Training School, Bolgatanga and acted as Chairperson of several rural banks.

Bishop Ayeebo urged the people to remain: “Prayerful, united and unprovocative in our language during the period of campaign and elections to ensure free, fair and transparent elections to preserve the peace of Ghana”.

More here-

http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2012/01/23/anglican-bishop-tells-christians-to-participate-in-politics/

Network of Knoxville Churches Open To Homeless

2012-01-23T07:09:00.002-05:00

From Tennessee-

On Saturday night self described 'Jill-of-all-trades' Denesse McBayne devoted herself to her real passion-- cooking.

"We're not only feeding their bodies," says McBayne. "We're feeding their spirit."

She spent the afternoon at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd whipping up a Caribbean feast to feed the members of the Family Promise program.

For one week, four times a year, a network of 16 churches throughout the Knoxville area take turns hosting homeless families of all sizes and descriptions.

This past week it was the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd's turn. They put up four homeless families by converting church space into temporary bedrooms.

More here-

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/202013/2/Network-of-Knoxville-Churches-Open-To-Homeless

Bishop marks milestone

2012-01-23T07:07:00.002-05:00

From North Carolina-

On Sunday, as part of St. Martin's yearlong birthday party, the spiritual menu went heavy on the fish.

The first reading featured Jonah, he of the whale. The gospel lineup included Simon Peter and brother Andrew, abandoning their nets along the Sea of Galilee to follow another fisherman.

Finally, there was Katharine Jefferts Schori. In an earlier life, she was a Stanford University-trained oceanographer. Since 2006, she has been the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. On Sunday, she was guest celebrant at a packed St. Martin's, and the fish metaphor swam through the entirety of her sermon.

Climb in the right boat when choosing a life's path, she told the congregation. Cast your net often for the betterment of the community, lest that connection for a greater good dries up and breaks apart.

"Your net is still catching fish because it reaches out into the community with invitation, not compulsion," she said. "This net is a living organism. ... Your task is to keep it wet and alive."

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/19/2951070/bishop-marks-milestone.html

One spiritual family living in two houses

2012-01-23T07:01:00.001-05:00

From Maryland-

Each January, many followers of Jesus observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It was begun more than 100 years ago by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. Originally, the friars were an order of Episcopal priests who joined the Roman Catholic Church. Christian unity has been a part of their mission since the order's founding, as it should be for every Christian.

You may have heard that the Episcopal All Saints' Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville were officially received into the Roman Catholic Church. And today, members of Baltimore's Mount Calvary Church, an Anglo-Catholic parish founded in 1842, are being received into the Roman Catholic Church's Anglican Ordinariate.

In 2010, 24 of 28 Mount Calvary members present (out of a congregation of 45) voted to join the Ordinariate, following a long-standing tradition of the Episcopal Church: democracy.

Negotiations over real and church property ensued, and an amicable agreement was reached last month. It states that the Anglican Use Congregation (the term for a Roman Catholic
congregation that is able to retain its Anglican worship rites) will be deeded the church building, adjacent offices and rectory; will keep all furnishings and personal property; and will retain the right to use the parking lot shared with Joseph Richey House, a hospice that started as a joint ministry by Mount Calvary and the All Saints' Sisters of the Poor. The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland will receive a monetary sum as part of the settlement, and will retain first right of refusal if the congregation vacates the property. Mount Calvary Church officially ends its 170-year history as an Episcopal parish in the Diocese of Maryland when it joins the Roman Catholic Church.

More here-

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-episcopalian-20120122,0,2874454.story

The risks and rewards of helping Honduras

2012-01-22T07:14:00.002-05:00

From Miami-

Pink. Yellow. Green. Blue.

Virtually the entire American Airlines flight going to San Pedro Sula in Honduras was clad in color-coordinated t-shirts, each representing a group doing good in the Central American country. Medical missionaries from South Carolina. College students from the Northeast. Church groups of kids, parents and pastors from across the country, including ours from St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Coral Gables.

In the six summers I’ve traveled with my family to San Pedro Sula to volunteer at Nuestras Pequeñas Rosas (Our Little Roses), a home and school for abused, orphaned and abandoned Honduran girls, there has never been an empty seat on the planes. A handful of the passengers are Hondurans, the rest are Americans who are building homes and schools, running clinics, distributing food and bonding with the Honduran people.

Yet with Honduras’ per-capita murder rate topping the worldwide charts in 2010 — coupled with the Peace Corps’ decision to leave the country in December after one of its volunteers was shot in the leg in an armed robbery in San Pedro Sula — many are worried about the impact the violence will have on their work.

More here-

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/22/2600849/the-risks-and-rewards-of-helping.html

Old, old story the tie that binds 300-year-old church

2012-01-22T07:11:00.002-05:00

From South Carolina-

Until insurance agents got involved, each newly confirmed child in the Parish Church of St. Helena marked the milestone by climbing the narrow steps to the top of its steeple.
In Beaufort now, only eagles and osprey get nearer to God.

Back then, the wind would caress their young faces as they squeezed the banister, looked down on mossy trees hiding the downtown, and squinted at water glistening into infinity in the beautiful bay beyond.

The rite was their passage into a church that was formed in 1712 -- a decade before the Old North Church in Boston was established and six decades before Paul Revere's "one if by land, two if by sea" plot depended on lanterns in its steeple.

Today, the Episcopal church in the heart of Beaufort will celebrate its 300th anniversary with a sermon by the Lord Bishop of London.

His visit is made more special by the parade of demands on his time, from conducting last year's royal wedding to this year's Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the London Olympic Games. It illustrates the rare story of the second-oldest church in South Carolina, and one of the oldest in America.

More here-

http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/01/21/1936088/old-old-story-the-tie-that-binds.html

Will 'Dean Jennifer' and his chaplain boyfriend tear the Church apart?

2012-01-21T09:56:00.002-05:00

From The London Daily Mail-

From the ornate pulpit of the vast and ancient cathedral where fire and brimstone have reverberated down the decades, the sermon that Sunday morning took on a very different, intimate tone.

The Dean of St Albans, the Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey John, was preaching to the congregation about his own personal anguish and the challenge of finding the strength to meet it.

His uplifting message, as he surveyed the absorbed faces of worshippers in St Albans Cathedral, was that all those who faced difficult challenges should be supported by their fellow men and women.

This was a fine Christian message, but it may not have been quite what it seemed.
For Dr John, who is openly gay and living in a civil partnership with a fellow cleric, is threatening to sue the Church of England for failing to appoint him a bishop.

Twice the controversial cleric has been the favourite to become one, first at Reading in 2003 and then at Southwark in 2010. And twice — despite a brilliant career — he’s been rejected.
Dean Jeffrey has now instructed specialist employment lawyers to consider suing the Church under the Equality Act 2010, which bars discrimination on the grounds of sexuality.

Such action, whatever the result, could catastrophically deepen the schism that threatens an Anglican church already dangerously divided worldwide over homosexuality.

It would almost certainly require the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to give evidence under oath, as he is said to have blocked John’s promotion on both occasions.

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089702/Dr-Jeffrey-John-Will-gay-Dean-Jennifer-chaplain-boyfriend-tear-Church-apart.html#ixzz1k6ZDKX2f

Outdoor ministry strives to serve the homeless

2012-01-21T09:51:00.002-05:00

From The Boston Globe-

It’s Sunday around noon and a line forms that winds around the towering bronze Brewer Fountain in a corner of Boston Common. Weary-looking men and women shuffle forward, making their way toward the folding card tables, where a dozen teenagers hand out carefully wrapped sandwiches and bags of potato chips. It is the end of the month, and many of these people’s food stamps have run out.

Walking by, you might mistake the whole thing for a soup line. The cast of characters seems right: the long line of the downtrodden, carrying their belongings on their backs or in tattered bags; the suburban youth group bused in from some parish outside of Boston, offering sandwiches from their perches behind the tables; a few clean-cut, middle-aged men and women overseeing everything, stopping to chat with the people waiting for their lunch. But then around 1 p.m., something altogether different unfolds. A woman with short blond hair and wearing a clerical collar steps forward.

“I’d like to invite all of you to form a circle,’’ she says. And in the space in front of the fountain, most of the 30 or so people who had stuck around to eat come together with the teenagers who had handed them their sandwiches, while a few remain standing at a distance.

More here-

http://bostonglobe.com/arts/2012/01/21/outdoor-ministry-boston-common-strives-serve-homeless/Nd8MFu7EyAXo6rZceNa8QJ/story.html

Good Shepherd helps launch diaper bank

2012-01-21T08:15:00.002-05:00

From Chicago-

As part of its faith-based ministry, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital has joined with other local agencies to launch the new Diaper Bank Partnership of Lake County.

This program is an extension of the St. Paul Diaper Bank Partnership started in 2009 in McHenry County by The Rev. Jim Swarthout, former rector of St. Paul Episcopal Church in McHenry. Swarthout now serves as the secretary for the National Diaper Bank and is the executive director of the Samaritan Interfaith Counseling Center of the Northwest Suburbs.

Swarthout said he began organizing a diaper bank after an individual came into the food pantry of his church. While the person was getting food, Swarthout held the baby and noticed the baby needed to be changed. He told the woman and she said her family could only afford two diapers a day, so she had to clean out the diaper and put it back on the baby. Swarthout began doing research and came across a diaper bank in New Haven, Conn., which he used to start a bank in McHenry County.

“The idea of a diaper bank is to support a person in need during a difficult time,” Swarthout said.

Chaplain Sam Martinez of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, also congregational coordinator and Hispanic liaison, said the need for diapers in Lake County was brought to attention by the community. The whole coalition, which includes social service agencies and churches in Wauconda, Barrington, Ela and Cuba townships, will host diaper drives and fundraisers throughout Lake County to stock the bank. Diapers will be stored in an empty warehouse at The Nut and Candy House, next door to the Wauconda Township offices.

More here-

http://lakezurich.suntimes.com/news/community/10124403-417/good-shepherd-helps-launch-diaper-bank.html

God still is speaking, but are we listening?

2012-01-21T07:45:00.003-05:00

From Alabama-

I couldn't sleep for about two weeks after the move.

The horns, sirens, voices and general clattering of New York formed an undecipherable jumble of noise. It's amazing how much sound seeps through a window five floors above the street. I was used to the silence of an Alabama night and now all I could hear was noise. This posed a problem as it would be my family's home for the next several years while I was in seminary.

A funny thing happened after a few weeks of the noise. My ears adjusted. Soon, I didn't simply hear a bunch of racket. I heard the rhythm of life.

I could identify and decipher the different sounds. I heard people talking and the notes of songs playing on car radios. I could tell when the man who pushed a shopping cart around our neighborhood arrived to collect bottles in the alley, because I could pick out his voice.

More here-

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20120121/LIFESTYLE/201210336/God-still-speaking-we-listening-?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs

From Texas to Tanzania - Anglican Hospitals Link Up

2012-01-21T07:35:00.002-05:00

From AllAfrica-

Senior management and medical officers from St. Luke's Episcopal Health System Houston and Baylor College of Medicine will visit the hospital of the Diocese of Morogoro in Berega at the end of February. This is the first step in a programme to develop links between Anglican hospitals in different parts of the world. These links are designed to provide conduits for the supply of medical equipment, provision of clinical training, and development in hospital management systems.

"The profile of Anglican hospitals is rising both within the church and amongst health policy makers", said Lee Hogan, co-chair of the Anglican Health Network and organiser of this trip. "Strengthening links between these hospitals will support our common mission to bring improved health care to those communities that Anglicans serve."

Following a trip to Berega in May 2011, Lee recruited officers from St. Luke's and Baylor who can provide key skills and experience to address priorities outlined by hospital director Isaac Mgego. At the top of the list is the development of maternal and newborn services. A high percentage of women in this rural district give birth at home without any medical supervision. Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, Professor of Fetal and Maternal Health at Baylor College of Medicine has extensive experience throughout Africa and will give attention to this challenge.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201201327.html

The Last Sermon of Mr. Fix-It

2012-01-21T07:20:00.002-05:00

From The New York Times-

HIS work here is done. His reinvention of a dying church with ratty old wooden pews is emblemized by the 900 brand-new chairs — bought by parishioners for $900 apiece, engraved plaques included — arrayed in the exquisite mosaic, marble and stained-glass sanctuary. With a congregation of nearly 3,400, up from a foundering flock of just a few hundred when he took over in 1994, the Rev. William MacDonald Tully, 65, is retiring from active duty at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church on Park Avenue and 50th Street. His final sermon is on Sunday.

His exit is voluntary and — contrary to that of his predecessor, who left after a decade of debilitating infighting and litigation — uncontroversial.

“I’m not going to preach on a Biblical lesson for my farewell sermon,” Mr. Tully emphasized last week, ensconced in a wood-paneled conference room because he had already ceded his cozy upstairs office to his hand-picked successor, the Rev. F. M. Stallings Jr., commonly known as Buddy. “It’s going to be personal. When I came here I had to create a new reality and not fight the old battles. People told me, ‘We need to fix this building,’ and I said, ‘No, let’s fix the congregation first.’ I was selected because I had a vision of fairly raw growth, a doctrine of radical welcome.”

The church building, with its triple portal entry by Stanford White grafted onto Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue’s main structure, was in need of fixing. It had been bankrolled by Astors and Vanderbilts, but they were long gone. Mr. Tully’s predecessor as rector was the Rev. Thomas D. Bowers, whose grand vision for his ministry revolved around the construction of a glass tower to provide enduring fiscal security for the church. In 1980, a British developer offered to buy the church and its property for $100 million, setting into motion a plan to use the church’s air rights to build a tower as many as 59 stories tall on the site of its community house.

More here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/nyregion/the-last-sermon-of-st-barts-rector.html

St. Thomas Episcopal Church has survived despite struggles, challenges

2012-01-21T07:14:00.002-05:00

From Tennessee-

The St. Thomas Episcopal Church is one of the oldest congregations in Elizabethton and meets in one of the oldest churches in the city.

According to a history of the church compiled and written by former Vicar David Michael Doty in 1993, the earliest record of Episcopal church activity in Elizabethton comes from the diary of the Rev. William E. Skiles, a deacon associated with the Order of the Holy Cross in Valle Crucis, N.C. Traveling far and wide on his horse Henry, Mr. Skiles was instrumental in the founding of schools and churches throughout western North Carolina. In 1859 in a report to the Diocese of North Carolina he wrote about visiting a church in “Elizabethtown” in Tennessee.

However, Doty notes that the first documentation of Episcopal church services in Elizabethton occurs in the 1892 diary of Bishop Quintard, printed in the journal of the 1893 convention. It notes that Rev. C.F. Berry and the bishop visited the town of Elizabethton and had night services in the Presbyterian Church after having services in Johnson City.

More here-

http://www.starhq.com/2012/01/20/st-thomas-episcopal-church-has-survived-despite-struggles-challenges/

Montana clergy wage campaign that could save Canadian killer

2012-01-20T08:58:00.003-05:00

From Montana-

While Canada’s Conservative government is still weighing whether to comply with a Federal Court order and resume efforts to seek clemency for the only Canadian on death row in the U.S., a coalition of Montana religious leaders has launched its own bid to help abolish capital punishment in their state.

The Montana clergy are backing a bill that would save Alberta-born killer Ronald Smith from execution.

Renewed debate over capital punishment and the fate of Smith produced oddly divergent arguments in the two countries last week, with the Conservative government here accusing opposition MPs of being too sympathetic to killers while the alliance of Montana clergy decried the “morally corrosive” effects of state-sanctioned executions.

Anglican Women gather in New York to consider Communion's advocacy efforts

2012-01-20T08:24:00.002-05:00

From ACNS-

Twenty Anglican women from countries1 including Australia, Bangladesh, Uganda and India are visiting the Anglican United Nations Office (AUNO) next month to engage with the UN’s 56th Commission on the Status of Women, which this year has ‘empowerment of rural women’ as its priority theme2.

“Members of the Anglican Communion have always been involved with speaking out for and with those suffering injustice and the effects of poverty,” said Rachel Chardon, Special Assistant at the Anglican United Nations Office. “Increasingly Anglicans around the world are recognising that they share particular issues common to all their Provinces: promoting birth registration, the impact of climate change and environmental degradation, the abuse of women and girls.

“One key Communion-wide initiative that has been endorsed by a range of Primates and bishops—including the Archbishop of Canterbury—is the campaign to end sexual violence. Anglicans and Episcopalians worldwide are already working with other Christian traditions and the World Council of Churches address violence against women.“

More here-

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2012/1/19/ACNS5016

Pope hits out at 'radical secularism'

2012-01-20T08:16:00.002-05:00

From USA Today-

Pope Benedict XVI says Roman Catholics in the U.S. need to understand the "grave threats" to their faith posed by what he calls radical secularism in the political and cultural arenas.

He addressed visiting U.S. bishops Thursday and used the same language in warning that attempts are being made to erode their religious freedom.

Benedict did not explicitly mention it, but the bishops have complained their religious freedom is eroding in the face of growing acceptance of gay marriage and attempts to marginalize faith. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has recently formed a committee on protecting religious liberty and hired attorneys and a lobbyist to work on the issue.

The pope said many of the bishops have complained about attempts to deny conscientious objection with regard to cooperation in "intrinsically evil practices." U.S. church leaders have been pressing for a broader religious exception to part of President Obama's health care overhaul that mandates private insurers pay for contraception. The Obama administration has not yet made a decision on the policy and the timing is uncertain.

More here-

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-01-19/catholic-pope-secularism-politics/52682816/1

£1m intact as Ordinariate asks for cash

2012-01-20T08:10:00.002-05:00

From The Church Times-

THE UK Ordinariate, which celebrated its first anniversary on Sunday, is to refrain from spending a £1 million grant until the Charity Commission has completed an investigation.

The Charity Commission said last year that concerns had been raised about the grant, which was made by the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament (CBS), a registered charity founded in 1862 to support the Catholic revival in the Church of England (News, 8 July). The trustees of the CBS said that the objectives of the Ordinariate were compatible with the charitable objects of the Confraternity.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Ordinariate said that the £1 million had been received, but would not be spent until the outcome of the Charity Commission investigation was known. “It is a dispute between the group of people disputing it [the donation] and the Confraternity. We are waiting to hear what the resolution will be.”

A spokeswoman for the Charity Commission said: “The Commission has met with the trustees of the Confraternity and also received a substantial amount of other information representing a range of views. We intend to provide a public statement on the outcome of our engagement in due course.” She said that it was likely to be “a matter of months, not weeks” before the investigation was concluded.

The Ordinariate spokesman said that it needed “at least £1 million a year” to operate, and that it was “still a struggle because we are setting everything up from scratch”. He said that some financial help had been provided by groups such as the St Barnabas Society and the Catholic League.

More here-

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=123377

Book review: 'The Unlikely Priest'

2012-01-20T08:02:00.002-05:00

From Florida-

Father J. Perry Smith, former vicar at Historic St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church in St. Augustine, and now Canon for Pastoral Care at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Jacksonville, admits that finally, “I’m just who I want to be.”

The 67-year-old priest was ordained in 2002 after decades of soul-seeking and adventure, according to his book, “The Unlikely Priest.”

It was Halloween in 1954 — a night that changed the path of life for a 10-year-old. While trick or treating near his home in rural West Virginia, Perry Smith and his brother David knocked on the door of a recluse who was reputed to be the richest woman in Logan County. The woman opened the door and before giving out treats asked the boys their names. She then inquired, “Which of you is the oldest?” Perry volunteered that he was 10 and his brother was 8.

“Oh you’re the adopted one,” she informed Perry.

More here-

http://staugustine.com/living/religion/2012-01-19/book-review-unlikely-priest#.Txlls5jMefQ

What's next for Episcopalians, Catholics?

2012-01-20T07:43:00.002-05:00

From NW PA-

Two recent events mark a significant change in the ecumenical relationship of Roman Catholics and the Episcopal Church.

First, a new translation of the Mass was introduced at the beginning of Advent. Then, on New Year's Day, the Anglican Ordinariate for the United States was officially launched. The Ordinariate will serve much like a diocese created especially for Episcopalians and others of Anglican heritage who wish to be in full communion with the Pope. Such folk would fully accept Roman Catholic teaching and authority while retaining some aspects of their former life in the Episcopal Church such as liturgical texts, married priests, and (limited) democracy in governance.

With regard to worship, the recent change is a departure from decades of working together along with other ecumenical partners to provide common worship texts in the various churches and denominations.

The new Mass translation was undertaken unilaterally by the Roman Catholic Church, apparently with no ecumenical consultation. Other Christian bodies, including Episcopalians and Lutherans, made major liturgical changes after Vatican II with ecumenical optimism and a commitment to shared translations among themselves and Roman Catholics. This hopeful project has been abandoned by Rome and we have the curious situation that the "old" Mass texts can now be found in Lutheran and Episcopal churches!

More here-

http://www.goerie.com/article/20120120/OPINION08/301209991/Downey%3A-What's-next-for-Episcopalians-Catholics%3F

Pittsburgh Nominates Four

2012-01-19T09:46:00.002-05:00

From The Living Church-

No clergy within the Diocese of Pittsburgh appear on the slate as the diocese seeks its eighth bishop.

The diocese announced four nominees Jan. 15:

The Rev. Canon Michael N. Ambler, Jr., 47, rector, Grace Church, Bath, Maine;

The Rev. Dorsey W.M. McConnell, 58, rector, Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill, Mass.;

The Rev. R. Stanley Runnels, 59, rector, St. Paul’s Church, Kansas City;

The Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, 49, rector, St. Thomas’s Church, Denver.

“Several priests from the Pittsburgh diocese decided before the nomination process began that they did not have a calling at this time to the ministry of bishop and would not allow their names to be submitted,” said a diocesan announcement of the nominees. “For others, that discernment became clearer later on in the search process.”

The diocese will accept nominees by petition until Feb. 5. “A nomination by petition requires ten signatures from individuals representing at least three parishes,” the announcement said. “Four of those signing must be canonically resident clergy, and of the six lay communicants in good standing in parishes of the diocese, three must be deputies to the diocesan convention. The petition must also include the consent signature of the person being nominated.”

The diocese will release biographical information on all nominees March 1, after reviewing and adding any nominees by petition. The election is scheduled for April 21.

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2012/1/17/pittsburgh-nominates-four

Court orders occupiers out of St. Paul’s Cathedral

2012-01-19T06:58:00.002-05:00

From The Washington Post-

Britain’s High Court on Wednesday (Jan. 18) ordered anti-corporate protesters evicted from a camp they have occupied for three months outside London’s iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The demonstrators, identifying themselves as the Occupy London Stock Exchange movement, set up their camp on Oct. 15 as part of a global “Occupy” campaign targeting corporate greed.

But after a lengthy legal battle, High Court Justice Keith Lindblom granted possession orders and injunctions against the protesters to the City of London Corporation, which owns the land, calling the action “entirely lawful and justified.”

When the encampment, which eventually included some 200 tents, was set up, it forced the closure of the 17th-century St. Paul’s for the first time since World War II.

At first, cathedral authorities told London police to stay back while allowing some protesters inside the premises. The protests triggered debate within the cathedral’s clergy, leading to the resignations of Dean Graeme Knowles and Canon Chancellor Fraser Giles when the corporation pushed initially to get the demonstrators moved.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/court-orders-occupiers-out-of-st-pauls-cathedral/2012/01/18/gIQAnDXw8P_story.html

Be humble, Anglican cleric tells leaders

2012-01-19T06:51:00.002-05:00

From ACNS-

An Anglican cleric, Ven Ugochukwu Ekeada of the Cathedral Church of All Saints, Egbu in Owerri North Local Government of Imo State, has challenged leaders at all levels, to humble themselves in their services to the nation and mankind.
In his sermon, Ven Ekeada said Nigerians and their leaders should imbibe the humility of Jesus Christ for having condescended to be baptized by John the Baptist, who had described Him as mightier than himself and whose shoes, he was not worthy to untie. He said Jesus Christ has exemplified humility by presenting himself to John the Baptist to be baptized despite his exalted position.

On the nation’s deregulation in the down stream petroleum sector, Ekeada commended President Goodluck Jonathan for cutting the salaries of the Executive arm of government and other measures which is aimed at reducing the cost of governance.

In a statement made available by the Diocesan Press Secretary, George Best Okoroh, Ekeada urged the government to ensure that these measures were not only seen to be sustained but pursued transparently in order to win the confidence and trust of skeptical Nigerians because of their perception of past governments in the country in matters of this nature. He said Mr. President, through the broadcast, was still conscious of the fact that he was elected and supported by the ordinary Nigerians and had the duty, on oat, to improve the economy to better the lot of the common man.

more here-

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/1/19/Be-humble-Anglican-cleric-tells-leaders

Working for unity between Catholics and Anglicans

2012-01-19T06:41:00.002-05:00

From Vatican Radio-

During this week of prayer for Christian unity, the different denominations present here in Rome are hosting a full programme of liturgical and other events that can foster greater understanding of the common values and unique heritages of each tradition.
On Thursday, Rome's Centro Pro Unione and Lay Centre are holding a lecture by the editor of America Magazine, Jesuit Fr Drew Christiansen, followed by an ecumenical Celebration of the Word presided over by the director of the Anglican Centre, Canon David Richardson. The preacher at that service is Msgr Mark Langham, in charge of relations with the Anglican and Methodist Churches at the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. Philippa Hitchen spoke with him about progress in these dialogues and about the theme for this annual week of prayer........

Listen:

“It’s an extremely appropriate theme for us in the Catholic Church this year because the Holy Father has so underlined the importance of our faith in providing that ‘new look’ on the world - how faith can provide us with a way of turning what seems to be frail and weak and not going too well, into something that is wonderful and hopeful and glorious. So with the Year of Faith that he’s announced it’s a wonderful way of leading into that through this week of prayer for Christian unity…

We’re looking forward to the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelisation and that has a particularly ecumenical aspect because the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has been invited out to speak at some length and lead a discussion during that synod…

More here-

http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=555349

Christ Episcopal Church in Lynbrook has new life with the arrival of the Rev. Walter V. Hillebrand

2012-01-19T06:36:00.002-05:00

From Long Island-

When people need help in their lives they may turn to their place of worship and seek the guidance of its staff members. But if a place of worship is in need where can those staff members turn to for help?

The Christ Episcopal Church in Lynbrook was on the verge of collapse a few months ago due to financial woes. The parish located on Blake Avenue, between Peninsula Blvd. and Merrick Road, has approximately 15 current members. Things were looking grim for Christ Church, but then a prayer was answered.

Trinity-St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hewlett was looking to branch out into other communities to aid parishes in need. Bishop Larry Provenzano has resided over the Diocese of Long Island for two years and it is his belief that all parishes should come together as one. This belief led Trinity-St. John’s to reach out to Christ Church and sent the Rev. Walter V. Hillebrand to Lynbrook. Hillebrand transferred to the Lynbrook parish in the middle of December after working the past two years at Trinity-St. Johns.

“It’s a great [opportunity] for both churches to work together and redefine how churches should (operate) in the 21st century,” Hillebrand said of the recent collaboration. He is fond of Christ Church’s diverse community and close proximity to trains and buses.

More here-

http://www.liherald.com/stories/A-prayer-answered-in-Lynbrook,38289?content_source=&category_id=5&search_filter=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=&town_id=

Christian denominations in Central Louisiana cite need to work together

2012-01-19T06:33:00.002-05:00

From Louisiana-

The Rev. Fred Tinsley of St. James Episcopal Church in Alexandria said Christians must be united in the church in order to spread the word of God.

"At our church, (during International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity), we do talk about how important it is for the church to be unified," Tinsley said. "We would love to see all Christians working together to reach non-believers of Christ."

The Rev. Wayne Carter of St. John's Episcopal Church in Minden, ecumenical officer for the Diocese of Western Louisiana, said he's been working to have more areas host Christian-unity services.

"It's extremely important for Christian churches to come together for a united-in-Christ presence," Carter said. "When we can worship together in Christ, we can present the message of Christ together."

The Rev. Ronald Herzog, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, presented a gift, "The Third Edition of the Roman Missal," to the Rev. David Bruce MacPherson, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana.

Chemino said MacPherson will retire this summer. Carter accepted the gift on behalf of MacPherson.

More here-

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20120119/NEWS01/201190320

Catholic priest brings baggage from Anglican past

2012-01-18T07:35:00.002-05:00

From Catholic News-

Be fruitful and multiply. There is one man in England who has taken this old biblical call too seriously. His name is Ian Hellyer and together with his wife Margaret is raising not one but nine children. He is also more than well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, being a Roman Catholic pastor, reports Vatican Insider.

Yes, that is right, he is both a father and a priest, and yet there is no excommunication on the horizon for him. The Fr Ian affair is no theological trick. The father of nine, 45, was an Anglican priest until last year and following a spiritual journey and a course of study, he decided to convert to Catholicism.

Fr Ian belongs to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walshingam in England and Wales. Ordinariates were established two years ago by the Holy See: they are essentially new organisations and canonical structures that allow Anglican “defectors” who wish to join the Catholic Church, to keep some of their liturgical traditions.

Above all, however, the Ordinariate grants former pastors special “permission” that authorises them to stay married. According to information obtained by the Vatican Insider from the Ordinariate and the English Episcopal Conference, there are currently 57 former Anglican pastors who have joined the Catholic Church. Forty two of these are married and Hellyer is one of them.

More here-

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=29661

Nominees For Episcopal Bishop Of Pittsburgh

2012-01-18T07:31:00.002-05:00

From the local NPR affiliate-

Four priests will stand for election as the next Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh April 21. A 16-member Standing Committee announced the slate of candidates Monday.

“Three of the final eight were from the state of Pennsylvania,” said the Very Reverend George Werner, Dean Emeritus of Trinity Cathedral and president of the nominating committee. “All the four that emerged for our particular unique situation, none of them happen to be [from] Pennsylvania.”

The four candidates are:

The Rev. Canon Michael N. Ambler, Jr., Rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Beth, Maine
The Rev. Dorsey W. M. McConnell, Rector of Church of the Redeemer, Newton, Massachusetts
The Rev. R. Stanley Runnels, Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Missouri
The Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Denver, Colorado
According to the Very Rev. Werner, the four have strong academic backgrounds. “They are very, very bright, but they’ve also had interesting experiences,” he said.

Members of the diocese have until February 5 to nominate additional candidates. The petitions must have ten signatures from four clergy and six lay members representing three parishes, and, of course, the approval of the proposed candidate.

More here-

http://www.essentialpublicradio.org/story/2012-01-17/nominees-episcopal-bishop-pittsburgh-9919

Bible used to fight, defend Alabama immigration law

2012-01-18T07:29:00.002-05:00

From Alabama-

The Bible tells its readers to obey the law, but it also tells them to welcome strangers and foreigners.

That’s left Christians divided over the issue of immigration reform, and the fight has come to Middle Tennessee.

Members of Nashville-based Clergy for Tolerance say that any new immigration laws have to mix justice with compassion. They hope to prevent Tennessee from passing immigration laws like the one in Alabama, which they say is too harsh.

But supporters of the Alabama measure say the Bible teaches that the government’s job is to enforce the law, and those who break it should be punished. The American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian legal group with local attorneys, filed a brief in federal court supporting the Alabama law.

More here-

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120118/NEWS06/301180079/Bible-used-fight-defend-Alabama-immigration-law?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Good Shepherd joins Lake County diaper bank effort

2012-01-18T07:25:00.001-05:00

From Illinois-

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital will join with other local agencies to fulfill a community need by launching the new Diaper Bank Partnership of Lake County.

This program is an extension of the St. Paul Diaper Bank Partnership started in 2009 in McHenry County by the Rev. Jim Swarthout, former rector of St. Paul Episcopal Church in McHenry. Swarthout now serves as the secretary for the National Diaper Bank and the executive director of the Samaritan Interfaith Counseling Center of the Northwest Suburbs, Barrington.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 25 at the Wauconda Township Building, 505 W. Bonner Road, Wauconda.

Local social service agencies are invited to attend along with those they have helped who might have an interesting story to share.

Diapers will be supplied to the diaper bank through individuals donations, diaper drives held at local organizations such as hospitals, schools and YMCAs, and from large organizations such as Huggies, who has made a sizable donation as part of its Every Little Bottom campaign.

More here-

http://www.nwherald.com/2012/01/17/good-shepherd-joins-lake-county-diaper-bank-effort/a17cdm6/

4 candidates for Episcopal bishop chosen

2012-01-17T07:01:00.002-05:00

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

A former lawyer and a mediator are among four preliminary candidates for bishop chosen by a search committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Members of the 32 parishes in the 11-county diocese have three weeks to petition for other names to be considered before the April 21 election. The preliminary slate is:

The Rev. Michael N. Ambler, Jr. rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Bath, Maine; the Rev. Dorsey W.M. McConnell, rector of the Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill, Mass.; the Rev. R. Stanley Runnels, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Mo.; and the Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Denver.

"One of the major emphases in the search was finding people who have worked through difficulties and major problems, and helped others to work through them. All four have had experience in that," said the Rev. George Werner, president of the diocesan standing committee.

The diocese is recovering from a 2008 split, when a majority at its annual convention voted to follow its former bishop out of the Episcopal Church. There are property disputes with the resulting Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh and, since many theological conservatives remained in the Episcopal diocese, there are also significant internal differences of perspective. Bishop Kenneth Price Jr. has served as an interim "provisional" bishop since 2009.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12017/1204044-56.stm#ixzz1jiT3mm9U

CIO blocks Anglican Church meeting

2012-01-17T06:58:00.002-05:00

From Zimbabwe-

Security forces have once again reportedly barred a meeting by Bishop Chad Gandiya of the Anglican Church, that had been scheduled to take place at Jamaica Inn just outside Harare last Friday.

The crackdown came despite Gandiya’s petition to Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri condemning police action blocking Anglican Church gatherings in Mhondoro and at Peterhouse near Marondera last month, on allegations the meetings were not sanctioned.

Gandiya said the woman running Jamaica Inn had notified them members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) had instructed her not to host his members.

“She claims she was visited by members of the CIO last night, who instructed her to cancel our women’s booking.

“She was distraught and in great fear. She told our women what had happened and that they could no longer use the centre,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Last month Gandiya wrote to Chihuri expressing concern over the treatment he and other church officials received at the hands of the police after their confirmation service was interrupted at St Bernard’s School in Mhondoro.

More here-

http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2012-01-17-cio-blocks-anglican-church-meeting/

The long Anglican Road to Rome

2012-01-17T06:54:00.001-05:00

From The Press Republican-

In the fall of 1979, a cluster of Episcopalians made another trip to Rome seeking a haven for Anglo-Catholic believers anxious to exit their increasingly divided church.

Vatican officials agreed that it was time to petition their new leader, the young Pope John Paul II. The document was prepared and then signed on the altar of the North American Martyrs at Rome's North American College. In it, members of the Society of St. Augustine of Canterbury and other like-minded clergy made a blunt request.

"We pray and beseech your Holiness to receive and accept us into the Roman Catholic Church," they wrote, "for we are sheep not having a shepherd and would return to the care of that Holy Apostle singularly commissioned by the Divine Lord to feed his sheep."

The pope soon said "yes." But that simply opened another chapter in a long, long, story, one that continues decades later.

More here-

http://pressrepublican.com/0205_columns/x1267394381/The-long-Anglican-road-to-Rome

Altar from St. John's Episcopal Church in Jersey City ends up on eBay for $49,500

2012-01-17T06:42:00.001-05:00

From New Jersey-

An altar from the shuttered St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jersey City has turned up on eBay, for sale by a New York importer at a nearly $50,000 price tag.

The eight-foot-high altar has an inscription on the bottom in memory of Edward F.C. Young, a banker and power broker who was one of the most influential people in Jersey City at the end of the 19th Century.

Young attended St. John’s, where he was a vestryman, and he and his family were major church benefactors, said Dennis Doran, the former senior warden at St. John’s and a current member of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy.

The inscription to Young on the altar, donated to the church when Young died in 1908, makes it of inestimable historic value, according to Doran.

“It ought to be in Jersey City, along with the pulpit and the lectern, which were also memorials to Young,” he said.

More here-

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/01/altar_from_st_johns_episcopal.html

Science Finally Demonstrates Four Specific Ways Prayer Transforms the Human Brain

2012-01-16T15:47:00.003-05:00

From Newsmax-

Millions of Americans believe in the power of prayer. In fact, a recent poll found that 84% of U.S. adults claim they’d prayed in the past week.

And written evidence of prayer dates back at least 5,000 years.

However, many people believe prayer has no scientific basis.

The Newsmax Health team wanted to identify what is really known about prayer, scientifically speaking.

How does prayer affect the human brain?

And does praying offer people any real benefits — mentally, physically, or emotionally?

To this end, they went out to the scientific and medical community to determine the potential benefits of prayer.

The results were so surprising that they created a free video presentation on the science behind prayer to share what they found.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Science Finally Demonstrates Four Specific Ways Prayer Transforms the Human Brain

More here-

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Four-Specific-Ways-Prayer/2012/01/11/id/423861

4 candidates for bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh

2012-01-16T11:48:00.002-05:00

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh has announced a preliminary slate of candidates for the bishop election to be held April 21.

All are parish rectors, none of them in Pennsylvania. They were chosen from 125 names submitted to a 16-member nomination committee.

The four candidates named by the committee are:

The Rev. Michael N. Ambler, Jr., rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Bath, Maine.

The Rev. Dorsey W.M. McConnell, rector of the Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The Rev. R. Stanley Runnels, rector of St. Paul???s Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Mo.

The Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Denver, Colo.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12016/1203914-100.stm#ixzz1jdmsuWlZ

Why Did AMiA Break Away from the Anglican Province of Rwanda?

2012-01-16T08:18:00.004-05:00

About the AMiA Break from Rwanda-

By Dan Claire, Chuck Colson and Tommy Hinson of RenewDC

On December 5, 2011, after 11 years as a mission of the Anglican Province of Rwanda, the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) abruptly broke away from the Church of Rwanda, thereby severing its ties to the worldwide Anglican Communion. This article and the appended timeline are an effort to summarize what happened from the perspective of the Rwandan House of Bishops, based on extensive interviews with the bishops as well as public documents.

How Did the Conflict Begin?

During the past year, the relationship of Bishop Chuck Murphy, Chairman of the AMiA, and the Rwandan House of Bishops broke down. Under new leadership last January, the House of Bishops sought to understand their working relationship with the AMiA for the sake of providing better accountability and oversight. Murphy, however, preferred to maintain the autonomy he had enjoyed under Emmanuel Kolini, the former Rwandan Archbishop. Kolini retired at the end of 2010 but has sought to remain the primary Rwandan liaison with Murphy and the AMiA. Onesphore Rwaje, the new Archbishop of Rwanda, values collaborative and collegial leadership, and has endeavored to include the entire House of Bishops in overseeing the AMiA.

More here-

http://www.renewdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Why-Did-AMiA-Break-with-Rwanda.pdf

Women bishops central to General Synod agenda that includes debates on assisted dying, health care

2012-01-16T08:14:00.002-05:00

From ACNS-

The General Synod will meet at Church House from 2.15 pm on Monday 6 February until late-afternoon Thursday 9 February.

The Synod will be spending a significant amount of time on the major legislative process designed to make it possible for women to be bishops while also making some provision for those who, for theological reasons, will not be able to receive their ministry. This will be the present Synod’s first opportunity to engage with that process since it was elected 18 months ago.

There will be four separate items of business dealing with different aspects of this complicated process, on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. These include fine-tuning of the draft Measure and consideration of making specific requests to the House of Bishops in relation to the next stage of the process in May. In addition, the Synod will have a presentation and opportunity for questions on the report from a working group on an illustrative draft Code of Practice that would be made once the legislation had been approved. These debates lead towards a possible final debate in July.

Other items of legislative business include the approval of an Order that completes a new framework for the charging of fees for weddings, funerals etc and the revision of a draft Measure amending aspects of the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003.

More here-

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/1/16/Women-bishops-central-to-General-Synod-agenda-that-includes-debates-on-assisted-dying-health-care

Ugandan Anglican leader has drawn both praise and criticism

2012-01-16T07:56:00.002-05:00

From Ekklesia-

He is described as charismatic, intelligent and humble in Uganda and the Global South, but Anglican Archbishop Henry Orombi, who will be leaving office this year, has also been criticised in the Anglican Communion for his hardline stance concerning homosexuality - writes Fredrick Nzwili.

On 7 January 2012 Orombi told the Church of Uganda's house of bishops to prepare to elect his successor in June. His ten-year term was set to expire in January 2014 before he turned 65. His decision to seek early retirement comes after serving for seven years.

The Christians he serves say Orombi has transformed his church, but his hard-line stand concerning issues within the Anglican Communion also earned him criticisms.

"I think he is the best Archbishop the Church of Uganda has ever had. He has been a faithful servant of God. He had charisma and development-oriented spirit. He will terribly be missed," Bishop Edward Muhima of North Kigezi, who retired last June, told ENInews in a telephone interview on 11 January.

Despina Namwembe, regional coordinator of United Religions Initiative, a Ugandan organisation with members from Christianity, Islam, Baha'i and Buddhism, said he was an example for secular politicians. "Most of the political leaders decline leaving power ... but this is a good precedent," she was quoted as saying in the Daily Monitor newspaper on 10 January.

However, Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, the Anglican cleric whom the church defrocked in 2006 over his ministry to homosexuals, said he hoped the bishops would elect a leader who is more understanding on issues of human sexuality.

More here-

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16077

I have a dream

2012-01-16T07:52:00.001-05:00

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

Entire speech here-

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Fond du Lac, Eau Claire Episcopal dioceses may combine some programs

2012-01-16T07:45:00.002-05:00

From Wisconsin-

Two of the three Episcopal dioceses in Wisconsin voted narrowly to remain separate dioceses last year but are studying ways they can combine programs.

Delegates of the dioceses of Fond du Lac and Eau Claire, at their conventions in October, turned down the opportunity to merge their administrative functions under one bishop.

But Bishop Russell Jacobus of the Diocese of Fond du Lac said discussions are ongoing about cooperative ministry.

"The decision to become one diocese has not been approved so it's no longer on the table," Jacobus said. "However, one of the things we discovered was the possibility of doing ministry together."

He said youth ministry and renewal programs are among the programs that could work together. A combined vestry school for both dioceses will be held in March.

The Diocese of Milwaukee is the other Episcopal diocese in the state.

more here-

http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20120115/FON0101/201150407/Fond-du-Lac-Eau-Claire-Episcopal-dioceses-may-combine-some-programs

Diocese Announces Preliminary Slate for Bishop Election

2012-01-15T17:01:00.004-05:00

From Pittsburgh-

The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh takes great joy in presenting its preliminary slate of four priests who will stand for election in April to become the next Bishop of Pittsburgh.

The slate is preliminary because the diocese now enters a short period during which names may be added to the ballot by petition.

The preliminary slate was unanimously recommended by the Nominating Committee and unanimously accepted by the Standing Committee. The candidates, in alphabetical order, are:

More here

http://www.episcopalpgh.org/diocese-announces-preliminary-slate/

Courting Episcopalians

2012-01-15T07:08:00.002-05:00

From The LA Times-

In a provocative act with religious and cultural implications, Pope Benedict XVI has created an ordinariate — similar to a diocese — for disaffected Episcopalians who are converting to Roman Catholicism. It will be headed by a married former Episcopal bishop, and it will allow congregations that make the switch to retain aspects of the Anglican liturgy, including the majestic Book of Common Prayer. The defection of Episcopalians en masse might seem of interest only to students of religion, but it illustrates a larger point: that the culture wars that rage outside stained-glass windows have come to dominate debates within and among Christian churches.

The alleged "poaching" of Episcopalians — and Anglicans in Britain — would have been unthinkable in the 1970s when, in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, a commission of Roman Catholic and Anglican bishops and theologians reached "substantial agreement" on issues that had divided the churches since the Reformation: the meaning of Holy Communion and the ordained ministry. The hope was that Roman Catholics and Anglicans would eventually achieve corporate reunion in which Anglicans would retain many of their traditions, including a married priesthood.

More here-

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-religion-20120115,0,6437551.story

Episcopal dioceses may combine programs

2012-01-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

From Wisconsin-

Two of the three Episcopal dioceses in Wisconsin voted narrowly to remain separate dioceses last year but are studying ways they can combine programs.

Delegates of the dioceses of Fond du Lac and Eau Claire, at their conventions in October, turned down the opportunity to merge their administrative functions under one bishop.

But Bishop Russell Jacobus of the Diocese of Fond du Lac said discussions are ongoing about cooperative ministry.

"The decision to become one diocese has not been approved so it's no longer on the table," Jacobus said. "However, one of the things we discovered was the possibility of doing ministry together."

He said youth ministry and renewal programs are among the programs that could work together. A combined vestry school for both dioceses will be held in March.

The Diocese of Milwaukee is the other Episcopal diocese in the state.

More here-

http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20120115/FON0101/201150407/Episcopal-dioceses-may-combine-programs?odyssey=mod%7Cdefcon%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Buffalo's blogging bishop

2012-01-14T11:06:00.002-05:00

From Buffalo-

Bishop R. William Franklin, the lifelong theologian and esteemed academic who was installed as the 11th Episcopal bishop of Western New York last spring, has 894 Facebook friends.

"That's a pretty good number," says the jovial Franklin during an interview at the diocese's Tonawanda offices. "My children say that I have more Facebook friends than they do."

But Facebook is just one of the modern media that Franklin uses to communicate with his flock. His personal website, rwilliamfranklin.org, includes links to email for comments, questions or prayer requests. Franklin writes longer pieces and appears in video chats on a popular blog, jerusalem-crossing.com, named for the Jerusalem Cross he has chosen as his bishop's cross.

And, just for fun, Franklin is also the star of an award-winning short film titled "Stair Dance," made when he was associate director of the American Academy in Rome to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the academy's main staircase.

Comments on the YouTube video of "Stair Dance," which has been watched by more than 3,380 people, include, "I still can't believe that, that is my bishop!!!!!" "Go Bishop! LOL," and "I think the whole Episcopal diocese of WNY has seen this ... hahahaha!"

More here-

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3781727046490408959

Prayerful Discernment Shapes Selection of Bishop Candidates

2012-01-14T09:06:00.003-05:00

From Pittsburgh-

Fifteen months after Diocesan Convention approved a call for an election, and after long periods of listening to hundreds of people across the diocese, after considering scores of potential candidates, and after much deliberation, discernment and prayer, the diocese is taking a tangible step in identifying those who will be on the ballot to be the next Bishop of Pittsburgh.

The diocesan Standing Committee is about to release a preliminary slate as unanimously recommended by the Nominating Committee. The Standing Committee was also unanimous in accepting the slate.

The naming of that slate, which will be made public after 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 15, 2012, is the culmination of the first of two steps in the process to determine those who will stand for election. The second begins immediately, as the Episcopal Diocese enters a period in which additional candidates could be added to the ballot by petition.

"We've come to an important point in time, where the diocese as a whole is going to receive the results of the first phase of the process, and where we give real reflection and discernment about whether to engage in the second part," said the Very Rev. George L. W. Werner, Dean Emeritus of Trinity Cathedral and president of the Standing Committee.

Dean Werner calls the work of the Nomination Committee "extraordinary."

The committee began that work exactly one year ago this weekend, when they gathered in retreat. "Our task is not too big; it is the Lord's doing," they were reminded then, and throughout, by their chaplain, the Rev. Don Youse.

More here-

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=l57sh8cab&v=001rZH4ueSUQhjYewKki-RsGPJvalJmDkeuDJvqXWqAIPv48KHBbEeDJa5EfO27406yFnvT6pjEawKVtTUp0_4uhBQeVfReQB33IBQ39cHniOtM2x5rA9LDdnxzg0O4w683UYf50g-BcqagcwDIvAdkvm8vC_6ZQU25lR_vE1nrUm0IQpPd57KGGILkzrVpYeIRmo5c9ph9o-7aCyl6iqcVmix8SRJTkJDOXNmnyK4EppIISRxcuonjIP6qgz24yl60bsEUeqr8z8k_qctuklk3hMX54mGOhqNkmEJfqczY4dZ_u1Ft3IGFFn2XV6BHJpS0jZpWPm066Pkt8L86bnE-vA%3D%3D

Judge rules in Episcopal property case

2012-01-14T07:44:00.002-05:00

From Virginia-

A ruling in a five-year legal battle between the Anglican District and Episcopal Diocese of Virginia — that already has been heard by the state's highest court — has been issued by a Fairfax County judge.

Eleven churches broke away from the Episcopal Church in early 2007 to join a more conservative Anglican Church under the auspices of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. The Angican churches, however, kept the Episcopal Church properties.

On Tuesday, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows reversed his original 2008 ruling that the breakaway congregations were entitled to the properties under a Civil War-era law called the "Division Statute."

The statute, Va. Code § 57-9, provides that when a religious denomination or diocese experiences a "division," member congregations may determine by majority vote which branch of the divided body they want to join. It also states this determination governs the ownership of property held in trust for that congregation.

More here-

http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20120113/NEWS/701139706/1117/judge-rules-in-episcopal-property-case&template=fairfaxTimes

Erie-based Episcopal diocese continues efforts to prevent sexual abuse

2012-01-14T07:41:00.002-05:00

From North West PA-

The double doors at the end of the hall leading to the League Room at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul used to be solid.

Now there's a window in the door on the right that looks into the parlorlike room where two couches and a love seat have been taken away.

The addition of the window and the removal of the furniture are among efforts to protect children and adults from sexual abuse in the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania.

The Erie-based diocese recently revised its Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth from Abuse and Policies for the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation of Adults and of Sexual Harassment of Church Workers.

"They're trying to create an environment and an awareness that makes the churches as safe as we can make it for children and for anyone with regard to matters of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment," said the Rev. John Downey, dean of the cathedral.

The cathedral at 134 W. Seventh St. is the mother church of the 34-parish diocese that includes about 4,700 Episcopalians in 13 counties. Its bishop, the Right Rev. Sean Rowe, said the revised policies are the latest generation in a local effort that stems back to the 1990s.

More here-

http://www.goerie.com/article/20120114/NEWS02/301149947/Erie-based-Episcopal-diocese-continues-efforts-to-prevent-sexual-abuse

Allentown's Episcopal Church of the Mediator to celebrate its 100th re-birthday in 2012

2012-01-14T07:38:00.002-05:00

From Bethlehem-

Some institutions have 100th birthdays, 200th birthdays and even 250th birthdays. But Allentown’s Episcopal Church of the Mediator at West Park and Turner Street is one of those few organizations that next year will be celebrating its100th re-birthday.

Founded in the late 1860s in the city’s industrial Sixth Ward, Mediator went into a state of dormancy from 1880 to 1911. Re-opening at its current location in 1912 the revived church once more became an active part of the city’s religious and social life. Among many other things, it was where the city’s first Boy Scout Troop, partially funded by General Harry C. Trexler, was formed in 1914.

Episcopalians have been few and far between in the religious landscape of the Lehigh Valley. Easton boasted Trinity Episcopal Church, the denomination’s mother church in the region in the early 1800s. In the 1840s St Mark’s Episcopal Church was founded in Mauch Chunk, now Jim Thorpe, by members of the Sayre family. It’s best known congregant was Lehigh Valley Railroad founder Asa Packer, who is said to have been rejected for membership by the Presbyterians when he refused to sign a temperance pledge to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages.

More here-

http://www.wfmz.com/features/History-s-Headlines/Allentown-s-Episcopal-Church-of-the-Mediator-to-celebrate-its-100th-re-birthday-in-2012/-/142386/7920620/-/g9sm7uz/-/index.html

Albert Cutié: It's time to talk about sex at church - and marriage for clergy

2012-01-13T07:49:00.002-05:00

From CNN-

I remember one of the stories shared about an old, revered Cuban pastor in the most popular Roman Catholic parish in Little Havana, near downtown Miami. He was often recognized as an outstanding local hero in the first stop for thousands of Cuban refugees, an area that is now home to thousands of Central American immigrants who also seek a better life in the United States.

One afternoon in the old dark church, 100 or so 7- to 12-year olds from the religious instruction classes known as “catecismo” were preparing to make their Lenten confession. The priest went through a list of the commandments and asked the children to think of any sins they may have committed so they could mention them once they sat face to face with a priest.

He spoke on each commandment for about 10 to 15 minutes. When he got to “You shall not commit adultery," he simply stated, “No hagan cositas feas” - don’t do ugly or dirty things. That was it. The explanation or reflection that had to do with sex lasted less than 15 seconds.

But let’s not blame the old monsignor for his curt approach. When it comes to sex, many Latinos still consider it a taboo subject, especially when there’s a religious component involved. We have the spiciest media, telenovelas, magazines and are perceived as less “prude” than our Anglo counterparts. But when it comes to religion and sexuality, we prefer not to connect the two - and never let them touch. We simply do not feel comfortable talking or dealing openly with sex and religion.

More here-

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/12/opinion-albert-cutie-its-time-to-talk-about-sex-at-church-and-marriage-for-clergy/

For Priests’ Wives, a Word of Caution

2012-01-13T07:45:00.002-05:00

From The New York Times-

WHAT will life be like for the wives of Roman Catholic priests?

On Sunday, the Vatican announced the creation of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, a special division of the Roman Catholic Church that former Episcopal congregations and priests — including, notably, married priests — can enter together en masse. The Vatican has stressed that the allowance for married priests is merely an exception (like similar dispensations made in the past by the Vatican) and by no means a permanent condition of the priesthood. If a priest is single when he enters the ordinariate, he may not marry, nor may a married priest, in the event of his wife’s death, remarry.

Nonetheless, the Roman Catholic Church is prepared to house married priests in numbers perhaps not seen since the years before 1123, when the First Lateran Council adopted canon 21, prohibiting clerical marriage.

Now as then, the church’s critics and defenders are rehashing arguments about the implications of having married priests in an institution that is otherwise wary of them. But in the midst of these debates, we should pause to ponder the environment that the priests’ wives might expect to encounter. After all, the status of the priest’s wife is perhaps even more strange and unsettling than that of her ordained Catholic husband.

More here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/opinion/for-priests-wives-a-word-of-caution.html

Seven Anglican Parishes in Virginia Lose the Fight to Retain Property

2012-01-13T07:41:00.002-05:00

From Catholic Online-

A Fairfax County Circuit Court ruled yesterday that the seven congregations, who have chosen to leave The Episcopal Church (TEC), must leave their buildings behind. Judge Randy Bellows delivered the decision in a 113-page document that returned control of the church properties to the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church.

Among the seven, two are among the most famous Episcopal parishes in the country - Truro Church, Fairfax and The Falls Church, Falls Church. The other five are Church of the Apostles, Fairfax; Church of the Epiphany, Herndon; St. Margaret's Church, Woodbridge; St. Paul's Church, Haymarket; St. Stephen's Church, Heathsville.

Judge Randy I. Bellows stated that the diocese and the Episcopal Church "have a contractual and proprietary interest in the property of these Episcopal churches." He indicated that, while the parishes had the right to separate themselves from The Episcopal Church and the diocese, "they had no right to take these seven Episcopal churches with them."

Tuesday's ruling was the culmination of a detailed review of the case after a June 2010 Virginia Supreme Court decision overturned Bellows' previous conclusion. Earlier, he had favored awarding the property to the separating congregations.

More here-

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=44372

Remembering Is Important: The Second Anniversary of the Earthquake in Haitie

2012-01-12T07:35:00.002-05:00

From The Bishop of Ohio-

Today as we mark the second anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake that leveled the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas, it is important that we remember this natural disaster in which hundreds of thousands were killed, countless injured and one of the poorest countries in the world was sent deeper into poverty, if that is possible.

More than simply recalling the day, it is important that we quite literally re-member -- that we reconnect and attach ourselves again to that part of the body of humanity that was severed from the rest of the world by the initial, catastrophic event and has been continually isolated by the resultant health, economic and infrastructural devastation.

Of course there are many governments, faith organizations, relief agencies and others working hard to address the ongoing needs of the Haitian people and assist in the Herculean task of recovery. But for the vast majority of us, Haiti has been replaced in our consciousness by the subsequent natural disasters in Japan, New Zealand, Turkey and here at home, or by whatever today's news cycle presents. That is the problem. Once a disaster is off the front page, even one as colossal as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti or the 2011 tsunami in Japan, we tend to detach from it. And when we detach from it, the isolation recurs and the companionship declines. We move on, while the victims have nowhere to go. That is why remembering is so important.

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-mark-hollingsworth-jr/remembering-haiti-earthquake-anniversary_b_1194323.html

Monroe Episcopal church invites community to Taize service

2012-01-12T07:31:00.001-05:00

From Georgia-

A unique worship service with roots tracing back to Europe's recovery after World War II will take place at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Monroe on Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. Known as a Taize (pronounced "tah-zay") service, this worship experience is open to all people of faith or even those without any and is noted in particular for its unstructured design.

"Sometimes people will light a candle," St. Alban's music director Dan Marineau said. "Some are used to kneeling and others prefer to sit. It's really very unstructured as far as what you should do at (any given) moment. There are periods of meditation. Scripture will be read. There'll be songs. We'll take it all in. It's an inward thing we're trying to do."

Marineau, who has held such services at St. Alban's for the past four years, also held similar services in Covington when he was at Good Shepherd Episcopal.

"It's a very contemplative kind of service," he said. "There's no sermon or communion. There is prayer... I think when you look inside of yourself and in a contemplative nature, you have a different perspective on worship and your relationship with God."

More here-

http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/news/2012/jan/11/monroe-episcopal-church-invites-community-to/

Episcopal Church wins long-fought lawsuit over control of historic churches in Virginia

2012-01-12T07:26:00.002-05:00

From The Washington Post-

The Episcopal Church should be restored as the owner of several historic churches in Virginia, a judge has ruled, years after the denomination was essentially evicted by local congregations dismayed with Episcopal leadership’s liberal theology.

In a 113-page ruling issued Tuesday night, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows reversed a ruling he made in 2008 giving custody to the conservative congregations. The Virginia Supreme Court overturned that ruling and ordered a new trial.

At issue is ownership of seven Virginia churches, including two prominent, historic congregations that trace their roots to George Washington: Truro Church in Fairfax and The Falls Church, for which the city of Falls Church is named.

The disputes within the Episcopal Church have raged openly since 2003, when the denomination consecrated an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire. The issues have since broadened to a range of theological issues, including fundamental interpretations of Scripture.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/episcopal-church-wins-long-fought-lawsuit-over-control-of-historic-churches-in-virginia/2012/01/11/gIQAqc05qP_story.html

Mutual Cooperation Extended As Properties Are Returned

2012-01-11T12:56:00.003-05:00

Fbrom Pittsburgh-

Two additional church properties have been returned to the Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church, as diocesan officials and the clergy of the vacating congregations worked together to allow for an amicable hand-off.

The clergy and parishioners of St. Martin's Church of Monroeville and Good Samaritan Church in Liberty Boro informed the Episcopal Diocese that they had decided on their own to leave those churches and property behind and to make a fresh start as new entities elsewhere. Those decisions came after the courts affirmed the Episcopal Diocese’s right to hold and administer the real property of the two churches. Both congregations relinquished the church properties as of January 2, 2012.

The Episcopal Diocese had informed these and other congregations that they were welcome to stay in place for the immediate future. No demands were made on them as a condition for staying, other than to remain good stewards of the property. For those still choosing to leave, the diocese further offered the time and cooperation necessary for an orderly relocation and transition of the property.

More here-

http://www.episcopalpgh.org/mutual-cooperation-extended/

God save the Queen

2012-01-11T07:17:00.001-05:00

From The New Statesman-

The Church of England has announced its plans to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee later this year. It is hoping that all its 13,000 parishes will involve themselves with initiatives including The Big Jubilee Lunch, which "will see millions across the country joining together to have lunch on the afternoon of Sunday, June 3rd", and The Big Thank-You, in which churches and cathedrals will invite members of the congregation to add their names to a collective thank-you letter to the monarch. Containing an introductory paragraph by diocesan bishops, the letters "give the public a chance to say a few words in appreciation of 60 years of loyal service."

In some ways, this is the Church of England doing its job. The Establishment "deal", as conceived centuries ago, gave the Anglican church immense privileges within society (bishops in the House of Lords, for example) in exchange for the church giving its moral backing to the state. The monarchy remains the most visible symbol of the church-state link. As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the Queen receives the "homage" of bishops on their appointment and even ordinary parish priests are expected to swear an oath of allegiance to her. Prayers for members of the royal family are offered daily in every C of E church in the land. (Francis Galton, the Victorian scientist and inventor of eugenics, once did a statistical analysis of the life-expectancy of members of the royal family and concluded that the prayers didn't work.)

More here-

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/nelson-jones/2012/01/church-state-england-queen-god

VA Anglicans Remain Prayerful Amid Church Property Ruling

2012-01-11T07:10:00.002-05:00

Press Release from Falls Church-

Seven Anglican congregations in Virginia that are parties to the church property case brought by The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia are reviewing today’s ruling by the Fairfax County Circuit Court that the property should be turned over to the Episcopal Diocese.

The Circuit Court heard the case last spring after the Virginia Supreme Court remanded it in June 2010. The congregations previously had succeeded in their efforts on the Circuit Court level to defend the property that they bought and paid for.

“Although we are profoundly disappointed by today’s decision, we offer our gratitude to Judge Bellows for his review of this case. As we prayerfully consider our legal options, we above all remain steadfast in our effort to defend the historic Christian faith. Regardless of today’s ruling, we are confident that God is in control, and that He will continue to guide our path,” said Jim Oakes, spokesperson for the seven Anglican congregations.

The Rev. John Yates, rector of The Falls Church, a historic property involved in the case, stated, “The core issue for us is not physical property, but theological and moral truth and the intellectual integrity of faith in the modern world. Wherever we worship, we remain Anglicans because we cannot compromise our historic faith. Like our spiritual forebears in the Reformation, ‘Here we stand. So help us God. We can do no other.’”

More here-

http://www.thefallschurch.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=180434

Court Rules for Diocese of Virginia Vs. Breakaway Group on Church Properties

2012-01-11T07:05:00.002-05:00

From Falls Church VA-

Tuesday night, the Fairfax Circuit Court issued its ruling in favor of the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church in litigation seeking to recover Episcopal church property, according to a report from the Diocese of Virginia. "Our goal throughout this litigation has been to return faithful Episcopalians to their church homes and Episcopal properties to the mission of the Church," said the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, bishop of Virginia.

The court ruled that the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia have "a contractual and proprietary interest" in each of the properties subject to the litigation. The court ordered that all property subject to its ruling be turned over to the Diocese.

"We hope that this ruling will lead to our congregations returning to worship in their church homes in the near future, while finding a way to support the CANA congregations as they plan their transition," said Henry D.W. Burt, secretary of the Diocese and chief of staff.
Bishop Johnston added, "While we are grateful for the decision in our favor, we remain mindful of the toll this litigation has taken on all parties involved, and we continue to pray for all affected by the litigation."

The decision had enormous consequences for the historic Falls Church located in downtown City of Falls Church. Since the congregation there voted in December 2005 to defect from the Episcopal Church, USA, and align with the new Council of Anglicans in North America (CANA) under the leadership of a Nigerian Anglican Bishop, the breakaway group led locally by the Rev. John Yates has continued to occupy the church property, being unwilling in the process to share it with those traditional Episcopalian members of the original congregation who did not vote to defect.

More here-

http://www.fcnp.com/news/10879-court-rules-for-diocese-of-virginia-vs-breakaway-group-on-church-properties.html

Interfaith Voices: Public officials need humility

2012-01-10T08:57:00.002-05:00

From Alabama-

As a student at the General Theological Seminary preparing for ordination in the Episcopal Church, I often made several visits a day to the Chapel of the Good Shepherd as the community took a break from class and gathered for worship.

The chapel is a neo-gothic structure built in the late 19th Century. Day after day of entering the chapel for services, the architecture, the stained glass, and other features of the chapel began to sink into my soul and shaped my understanding of God.

On the floor of the chapel were a series of tile mosaics of the words of the seven virtues, written in Latin.

Many of us are familiar with the so-called seven deadly sins but are less familiar with their positive opposites, the seven virtues.

Among this list appearing on the floor of the chapel is humilitas, or humility.

More here-

http://progress.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20120109/OPINION0101/201090301/-1/7daysarchives/Interfaith-Voices-Public-officials-need-humility

Local doctor survives plane crash and continues mission

2012-01-10T07:12:00.002-05:00

From Alabama-

A Bessemer doctor and his daughter are back to doing charitable work in Haiti after their plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas.

Dr. Richard Mcglaughlin and his daughter, Elaine, took off Saturday on a mission trip to Haiti.

Ever since his first trip to Haiti with the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Dave Drachlis says Mcglaughlin has been hooked. "He's an energetic, very caring person with a lot of interests," said Drachlis.

The two men traveled to Haiti back in May of 2010 to help earthquake victims. Since that trip, Mcglaughlin has made it his mission to continue the visits.

So much in fact, he setup his own lab at the St. Damians Hospital in Haiti.

Drachlis says, "he's been going once a month since then for a week on his own down there to help out." You might think twice about hopping back on a plane after what happened to Dr. Mcglaughlin.

His plane with his daughter on board, went down Saturday in the Bahamas, crashing into the ocean. On his way back onto a commercial flight in Miami Monday morning, Mcglaughlin says, "It leaves you a little shaky for a while and not entirely sure what to do next."

His daughter, by his side, is still processing Saturday's crash. "I have just been going over the events of Saturday and it just seems really surreal," said Elaine.

http://www.myfoxal.com/story/16482862/local-doctor-survives-plane-crash-and-continues-mission

Preserving Anglican Patrimony

2012-01-10T07:08:00.002-05:00

From The National Catholic Register-

Father Jeffrey Steenson, who was named by Pope Benedict XVI on New Year’s Day as the first to lead the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, said that the new ordinariate for former Anglicans and Episcopalians must be true to both the Catholic Church and its Anglican patrimony.

An obviously overjoyed Father Steenson, 59, who according to one report sported cufflinks with the motto “Keep Calm & Carry On,” said that Pope Benedict, who authorized ordinariates for former Anglicans and Episcopalians in 2009, had charged them to preserve certain elements of Anglican worship.

The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham — the first one to be created — was established in the United Kingdom in January of last year. The Chair of St. Peter is the second ordinariate to be erected, though Anglicans in Australia also hope to have an ordinariate established there.

“The establishment of the Personal Ordinariate is a historic moment in the history of the Church,” Father Steenson said. “For perhaps the first time since the Reformation in the 16th century, a corporate structure has been given to assist those who in conscience seek to return to the fold of St. Peter and his successors.”

Read more:

http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/preserving-anglican-patrimony/#ixzz1j3Z76vY2

Grace Episcopal Church offers 'Warmth in the Night'

2012-01-10T07:04:00.002-05:00

From The Diocese of Bethlehem-

If you are down and out — as so many seem to be lately — Grace Episcopal Church wants to help.

Now in its second year, the parish is offering ‘Warmth in the Night’ to those in need in the community.

Though the church does open its doors and offer a warm place to sleep during this (normally) cold season, Father Edward Erb says that is just the tip of iceberg.

“What we’re offering here is really more of a ‘ministry of hospitality,’” Erb said in an interview Friday. “We measure our success less in terms of how many people are staying here overnight and more through how we can help people in other ways.”

As an example of this, Erb points to a young couple his parish recently helped by getting them bus fare back to their family in Pittsburgh when the job the husband had come to town for fell through.

There are many other examples.

In one, Erb says last year a woman who had been sleeping in an ATM booth for four days came to the shelter with her contact lenses crusted onto her corneas. Fortunately, with two eye doctors in the parish, Erb says the woman was able to have the problem dealt with and one of the doctors was able to set her up with a sample package of disposable contacts.

More here-

http://www.wayneindependent.com/news/x2044982993/Grace-Episcopal-Church-offers-Warmth-in-the-Night

Former Episcopal Bishop Clarence Pope, Jr. Dead at 81

2012-01-10T06:57:00.001-05:00

From Catholic Online-

Clarence Pope, former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, gained the reputation over the years for being an orthodox Anglo-Catholic. He made the news in the 1994 and 1995 regarding his entrance and subsequent exit from the Roman Catholic Church. He re-entered in 2007.

The Right Reverend Clarence C. Pope, Jr, the second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, died in his sleep on Monday in a Baton Rouge, LA hospital where he was battling pneumonia. He was 81.

According to George Conger, on his blog "Anglican Ink," his wife, Dr. Martha Pope, and other members of the family had visited the former bishop this past week.

Pope gained the reputation over the years for being an orthodox Anglo-Catholic. He made the news in the 1994 and 1995 regarding his entrance and subsequent exit from the Roman Catholic Church.

Upon his retirement in 1994, he announced that he and his wife would be entering the Roman Catholic Church. After his reception by Cardinal Law in Boston, the former bishop sought re-ordination in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He was subsequently turned down and, with urging from some fellow Episcopal bishops, re-entered the Episcopal Church in 1995 and was reinstated to the House of Bishops.

More here-

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=44340

Barry Larkin Elected to the Hall of Fame

2012-01-09T15:59:00.002-05:00

From Cooperstown-

Barry Larkin, a 12-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winning shortstop, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in balloting verified by Ernst & Young.

Larkin, 47, will be inducted into the Hall July 22 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with the late third baseman Ron Santo, who was elected last month by the Golden Era Committee. Also to be honored over Induction Weekend will be Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing and television analyst Tim McCarver, the former major league catcher, with the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting.

A total of 573 ballots, including nine blanks, were cast by BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years' service. Players must be named on 75 percent of ballots submitted to be elected. This year, 430 votes were required.

Larkin, who was in his third year of eligibility, received 495 votes, for an 86.4-percent plurality. His vote total reflected a 24.3-percent gain from the 2011 ballot, the largest jump in one year to gain election since 1948 when pitcher Herb Pennock received 77.7 percent of the vote after having tallied 53.4 percent in 1947. Larkin's jump is the largest for any Hall of Fame election in which at least 400 ballots were cast. The previous highest was the 16.4-percent jump by first baseman Tony Perez from 1999 (60.8) to 2000 (77.2).

http://baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/barry-larkin-elected-hall-fame

Anglican Archbishop Orombi to retire in June

2012-01-09T07:01:00.001-05:00

From Uganda-

Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi has called for the election of the next Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. The announcement came during a regularly scheduled meeting of the House of Bishops on Saturday, 7th January, in Mbarara.

Orombi confirmed the announcement in Ntungamo on Sunday, 8th January, during the consecration and enthronement of the new Bishop of South Ankole Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Nathan Ahimbisibwe.

The election of the next Archbishop will take place in June 2012 by the House of Bishops. The enthronement of the new Archbishop will take place in December 2012.

More here-

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/628230-anglican-archbishop-orombi-to-retire-in-june.html

DEL MAR: Church ministry helps homeless in affluent coastal city

2012-01-09T06:47:00.004-05:00

From San Diego-

Homeless people are a common sight in downtown San Diego, Grape Day Park in Escondido and other places in the county, but pastors at a church in Del Mar know that even the more affluent areas have their share of people in need.

"There are people who are homeless in Del Mar and have been homeless in Del Mar for decades," said the Rev. Paige Blair, rector at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Del Mar. "It's not a new thing at all."

Blair, who has been at St. Peter's for 2 1/2 years, said she would like the church to expand its services for the area's homeless.

"It's a hard reality," she said. "We might not want to think about it, or we might want to avoid having to see this kind of poverty, but we can't. It's real."

The church began its Helping Hands ministry in 2008 to give food and clothes to the homeless, and it is part of a network of churches that each provide shelter for two weeks during the winter.

Read more:

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/del-mar/del-mar-church-ministry-helps-homeless-in-affluent-coastal-city/article_77a469b1-dfaa-59d5-a6d3-6d932d9360d5.html#ixzz1ixdOGde2

Woman makes stand at altar by leading local Mass

2012-01-09T06:45:00.002-05:00

From Minnesota-

Mary Frances Smith realizes what she is doing is shocking to some or blasphemous to others.

Smith risks being excommunicated by the Catholic Church for celebrating Mass on Sunday at St. John’s Episcopal Church in St. Cloud.

“We’re always encountering people who are surprised by what we’re doing,” said Smith, a deacon and a priest who is part of the Midwest Region of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis issued a statement that “women who claim to have been ordained Catholic priests in fact have no relationship to the Catholic Church because their ordination is not valid.”

“To have women being denied their calling to do that, and for them to have the bravery to do this ... that’s very inspirational,” said Kelly Doss, a Catholic from St. Cloud.

More here-

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20120109/NEWS01/101090023/Woman-makes-stand-altar-by-leading-local-Mass

Anglican Primate calls on Mugabe to stop worshippers' persecution

2012-01-08T06:42:00.002-05:00

From Zimbabwe-

THE Anglican Church Primate for Southern Africa called on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to stop the ongoing persecution of Anglican worshipers following police action halting a retreat by clerics in Marondera, Mashonaland East.

Police said the meeting contravened a ruling last year by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku that said excommunicated Bishop Nolbert Kunonga was the true Bishop of the Harare diocese, not Bishop Chad Gandiya, recognized internationally.

Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town deplored the police action and urged Mr. Mugabe to “ensure that the religious freedom of all Zimbabweans and especially persecuted Anglicans is respected.”

He also urged "ecumenical friends and our partners in the Anglican Communion to ask their governments to put pressure on Zimbabwe to end the persecution."

“The forthcoming season of Epiphany speaks of our hope that the incarnate Christ breaks all boundaries," Makgoba said. "And that he will ultimately break the power of President Mugabe and those of his supporters who carry out these deeds, and bring freedom to Zimbabwe.”

More here-

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/church-features/6036-anglican-primate-calls-on-mugabe-to-stop-worshippers-persecution

Three Kings Day a post-Christmas treat

2012-01-08T06:35:00.003-05:00

From New Jersey-

t was a post-Christmas celebration with a Latin flair Saturday night as Sussex County's Spanish-speaking community came together at Christ Episcopal Church to celebrate "Día de los Tres Reyes," or Three Kings Day. The event, in its seventh year at the church, is organized through immigrant outreach program El Refugio as a means of promoting Latino cultural traditions, Father Robert Griner said.

Attendees were treated to dinner, music, games and gifts. A trio dressed as the iconic Three Kings -- the dignitaries who visited Jesus Christ after his birth -- handed out a gift apiece from under a Christmas Tree to each of the 96 children who came to the celebration.

Three Kings Day is traditionally held on Jan. 6 but was rescheduled for Saturday to accommodate prospective attendees' work schedules, said Mauricio Soperanes, who emceed the event. As Soperanes explained, in many Spanish-speaking cultures the Three Kings are considered the foremost figureheads of the Christmas season, rather than Santa Claus.

More here-

http://www.njherald.com/story/16470496/three-kings-day-a-post-christmas-treat-for-spanish-speaking-families

New bishop of Ala. Episcopal Diocese takes office

2012-01-08T06:33:00.003-05:00

From Alabama-

The Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan was seated as 11th bishop of the Diocese of Alabama on Saturday, Jan. 7, at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.

Officiating at the service was the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, who had presided at Sloan’s consecration in 2008.

The Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley Jr., the 10th bishop of Alabama, presented Sloan with the symbol of office, a silver-tipped crozier first carried by Alabama Bishop Richard Hooker Wilmer in the 19th century.

The Rt. Rev. Duncan Gray III, bishop of Mississippi, preached. He jokingly called Sloan, originally from Mississippi, a missionary to Alabama who “went native.”

Noting Sloan’s reputation as a storyteller, in the tradition of so many Mississippi authors, he called upon Sloan to continue telling the story of Christ and his people: “Who we are, where we come from, and what we are called to become.”

“Continue to tell the stories of human foibles and God’s holy and mysterious grace,” he concluded. “Tell the stories, my brother, so that the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.”

More here-

http://www2.alabamas13.com/news/2012/jan/07/new-bishop-ala-episcopal-diocese-takes-office-ar-3002977/

Red Thread Promise

2012-01-07T07:44:00.002-05:00

From PBS (with video)

SONYA YENCER (Red Thread Promise): The name of the Red Thread Promise came from an ancient Chinese proverb that talks about a silken red thread of destiny that connects everybody. In Haiti, disabled children are often not treated well, they are often neglected, sometimes abused, abandoned. So, following the earthquake, the majority of St. Vincent ‘s original school and clinic and church was completely destroyed and there was only one building left standing. Anything that wasn’t destroyed was looted.

REV. SCOTT ALBERGATE (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church): It was clear right away the connection between New Orleans and Haiti. St. Paul’s is the most devastated of our churches in Katrina. And, with its story of rebuilding completely on faith and with the spirit too at the same time. Not just to rebuild themselves but to pay forward all of the blessings that this church received.

KATHY KORGE ALBERGATE (Red Thread Promise): When the earthquake hit in Haiti, I said, you know what, we need wheelchairs there. We need wheelchairs that are going to handle the terrain. We had over 24 churches in the United States contributing for one full container of wheelchairs, crutches, canes. Our Diocese reached out. They did it. Janie and Grant heard about the wheelchair program through church and they saw it in the hallway and they wanted to do a fundraiser. They came to us. We didn’t ask them. But, many children at St. Paul’s and in our school here, in the church and school came to us with different fundraisers.
We have given the children brand new wheelchairs, their own, that are fit for them. Little Diana went from an adult wheelchair that was falling apart to this teeny tiny little petite wheelchair. We saw her glow. We’ve given teenage boys an opportunity to play basketball now by having a wheelchair that they can twirl around in. It’s been incredible.

So if we do nothing else other than to make sure they have proper food, water and a chance to have a good education, we feel accomplished, we feel like we’ve paid it forward. We’re doing something to help.

YENCER: I think people can choose to grasp that red thread of destiny, choose to acknowledge that it’s there. That we really are connected. That these are our brothers and sisters regardless of the color of our skin or where we grew up. You know, it’s humanity that brings us all together.

More here-

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/january-6-2012/red-thread-promise/10071/

Churches struggle with declining congregations

2012-01-07T07:36:00.002-05:00

From Philadelphia-

For a while, it seemed as if the new year would be anything but happy for the members of St. James Episcopal Church in Prospect Park.

The 106-year-old Delaware County congregation was so mired in debt that it couldn't pay its rector. Closing seemed imminent.

Just 10 minutes away, in Ridley Township, Leiper Presbyterian Church faced a different challenge: a small, aging membership, with only 30 coming to Sunday services.

Leiper, founded in 1818, voted to dissolve, an acknowledgment of hurdles too steep to overcome. Its last service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday.

St. James fought and survived - for now. It will install a part-time rector Jan. 28.

While the public eye is focused on the troubles of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia - which announced Friday that it would close four high schools, and shutter or merge 44 elementary schools - the struggles of St. James Episcopal and Leiper Presbyterian are illustrative of the demographic trends that likewise have battered mainline Protestant congregations.

More here-

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120107_Churches_struggle_with_declining_congregations.html

Two groups to advise on sexuality

2012-01-07T07:32:00.003-05:00

From The Church Times-

THE second of two groups to re-examine the Church of England’s stance on sexuality has been announced.

Last month, a three-man group was set up to review the policy statement made by the House of Bishops in 2005, just before the introduction of civil partnerships (News, 2 December). This is chaired by the Bishop of Sodor & Man, the Rt Revd Robert Paterson, and includes the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, and the Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Revd Colin Fletcher.

This week, a second group was announced to look more widely at the Church’s approach to sexuality. It will be chaired by Sir Joseph Pilling, a retired civil servant. He was Permanent Under Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office (1997-2005), and National Identity Scheme Commissioner until the abandonment of the identity-card scheme. He also chaired a group that produced a report on senior church appointments, Talent and Calling, published in 2007.

He is joined by the Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Revd Michael Perham; the Bishop of Birkenhead, the Rt Revd Keith Sinclair; the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Revd Jonathan Baker; and the Bishop of Warwick, the Rt Revd John Stroyan.

More here-

http://churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=122809

A Cohort of Married Roman Catholic Priests, and More Are on the Way

2012-01-07T07:20:00.002-05:00

From The New York Times-

On New Year’s Day, the Vatican announced the formation of a nationwide ordinariate — kind of a diocese without borders — for Episcopal priests and their congregations who want to move together into Roman Catholicism. The big news is not that some Episcopalians will have a zippier express lane into Catholicism, but that there will soon be even more married Catholic priests in America.

And married priests raise provocative questions for the Catholic Church, whose shortage of clergymen is worsening by the day.

Most Americans, perhaps most American Catholics, do not know that the church allows married priests. But there have always been married priests in the non-Latin rites, like Ukrainian Catholicism or Maronite Catholicism. These churches are fully Catholic, obedient to the pope, but they ordain married men, although they do not allow unmarried priests to get married.

There were always some married priests in Roman Catholicism, too, until the First Lateran Council, in 1123, banned the practice. And there have been married Roman Catholic priests again since 1980, when the church said that Protestant clergymen who became Catholic priests could stay married to their wives.

More here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/us/married-roman-catholic-priests-are-testing-a-tradition.html

Vatican welcomes Episcopal converts to Catholic Church

2012-01-07T07:17:00.002-05:00

From The LA Times-

Congregations and members of the Episcopal Church — including married priests - may join the Roman Catholic Church under a new structure announced by the Vatican.

The nationwide "ordinariate," which is similar to a diocese, will be headed by the Rev. Jeffrey N. Steenson of Houston, a Catholic convert who called the announcement by Pope Benedict XVI a "historic moment in the history of the church."

For perhaps the first time since the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, he said, a structure has been created to "assist those who in conscience seek to return to the fold of St. Peter and his successors."

The Episcopal Church has been rocked in recent years by divisions over doctrine and the role of gays and lesbians in church life. With about 2 million members, the church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the ongoing disputes have prompted some congregations to align themselves with Anglican bishops overseas.

A moratorium on electing gay bishops was overturned at the Episcopal Church's national convention in Anaheim in 2009; the next year, Mary Douglas Glasspool became the church's second openly gay bishop and serves in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Steenson, in a conference call with reporters Monday, appeared to allude to the issue when asked why he left the church. "It came down to the question of how authority is handled in the church," said Steenson, who was ordained a Catholic priest in 2009. "Putting challenging theological questions to a vote is not traditionally how we answered questions. Every generation has its issues. We need to take the long view."

Read more:

http://tdn.com/lifestyles/vatican-welcomes-episcopal-converts-to-catholic-church/article_eab46458-38b0-11e1-9fa9-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1im3mxjwP

Partnership with Anglican aid agency to benefit 5,000 Delhi slum children

2012-01-06T07:54:00.002-05:00

From Christian Today (India)

Anglican aid agency Anglicord and the Asha Foundation, an Indian organisation working with people in over 50 of Delhi’s slums, have announced a partnership to help short circuit the cycle of poverty for thousands of young people.

With Anglicord’s assistance, Asha hopes to raise enough money in Australia to enable 5,000 children from the slums to gain admission to college and university, addressing the intergenerational cycle of poverty entrenched in many slum areas. The funds will provide students with resources and a range of support mechanisms to stay the course in higher education, giving them access to better employment opportunities.

“I believe Australians will respond well to Asha’s request for their assistance,” said Misha Coleman, CEO of Anglicord. “Australians have a strong sense of connection to India for many reasons, but they also like to support things that help people to help themselves. Asha’s program does just that.”

“The Hindi word ‘Asha’ means ‘hope’,” she said. “Asha and Anglicord, both Christian organisations, have a strong vision of hope. We want these young people to have real hope that a life of poverty is not inevitable. This program provides that hope in a very practical way.”

More here-

http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/partnership-with-anglican-aid-agency-to-benefit-5000-delhi-slum-children/6935.htm

Rev. John Crocker Jr., 88; activist, college chaplain

2012-01-06T07:36:00.001-05:00

From Boston-

Joining 14 other Episcopal clergy, both black and white, the Rev. John Crocker Jr. stepped into the segregated restaurant of a Jackson, Miss., bus station in September 1961. Traveling by bus on a civil rights prayer pilgrimage, the group’s journey quickly detoured into a Jackson jail for several nights.

“We were these little conservative Episcopal clergymen with round collars on, and we were the least revolutionary people you could imagine,’’ Rev. Crocker recalled in an interview for Eric Etheridge’s book, “Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Freedom Riders.’’

Local police thought otherwise and had been arresting Freedom Riders who tested the resolve of the segregated South by trying to integrate public places. Refusing orders to leave the restaurant, the clergymen were arrested on breach of peace charges.

“Jackson officials and police asked us: ‘Why did you come down here to mess us up? You’re New Englanders,’ ’’ Rev. Crocker said in the book interview. “ ‘Well, I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘I thought I was an American first.’ ’’

More here-

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/01/06/rev_john_crocker_jr_88_social_justice_activist_while_a_chaplain_at_brown_and_mit/

Rev. R. Scott Hurd draws on his own faith to help Anglicans converting to Catholicism

2012-01-06T07:32:00.001-05:00

From Washington DC-

At a beautiful little church in a small Texas town in 1996, I celebrated my final Eucharist as an Anglican priest of the Episcopal Church. After the closing blessing, the choir and I processed out to the classic hymn, “Faith of Our Fathers.” A week later, I found myself in Washington, D.C., a layman sitting in a pew, anticipating my first Sunday Mass as a Catholic, and wondering what to expect. But when the opening hymn began, I knew that I was in the right place. The hymn? “Faith of Our Fathers.”

It was as if God was reassuring me that my entrance into the Catholic Church was simply a continuation of the spiritual journey I had begun as an Episcopalian. I still cherish the memory of that day. Not only did it confirm for me that my future rested in the Catholic Church, it also made me grateful for my Episcopal past. I am a “cradle” Episcopalian. It was within the Episcopal Church that I met the Lord, grew in faith, and heard a call to ordained ministry. An Episcopal high school is my alma mater, and it was at an Episcopal altar that my wife Stephanie and I exchanged our vows. As an Episcopal priest, I ministered in God’s name, preached His Word, and served His people.

My Anglican past is something I still treasure, even though I’ve been a Catholic for 15 years, and a Catholic priest for 11. In my mind, becoming Catholic wasn’t a rejection of my Anglican past; it was its completion. There were many good and wonderful things about my years as an Episcopalian. At the same time, I came to believe that something was missing. Namely, the authority that undergirds Catholic teaching; an authority I believe was given by God.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/rev-r-scott-hurd-draws-on-his-own-faith-to-help-anglicans-converting-to-catholicism/2012/01/05/gIQAYyb8cP_story.html

Breakaway parishes in Greater Cleveland, across Ohio say Episcopal hierarchy too liberal

2012-01-06T07:29:00.002-05:00

From Cleveland-

A nationwide rift among Episcopalians has fractured St. Barnabas church, where the bulk of the congregation has broken away from the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio and is worshipping in an auditorium at Bay High School.

In recent years, a number of Episcopal congregations across the country have been at odds with church hierarchy over Christian teachings.

Essentially, breakaway groups see the church drifting from orthodox Christianity to a more liberal creed, including allowing openly gay, partnered clerics to serve as bishops.
"When they talk about Jesus, it's not the same Jesus I talk about," said the Rev. Gene Sherman, pastor of the 250-member breakaway congregation from St. Barnabas.

More here-

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/01/breakaway_parishes_say_episcop.html

Historic St. Mark's Episcopal, Trinity downtown to merge

2012-01-06T07:23:00.002-05:00

From Toledo-

In an evensong service of hymns and prayer, members and friends of St. Mark's Episcopal Church will gather in the sanctuary on Friday to bid farewell to a congregation that has been an anchor in the Old West End for more than a century.

A final service will be held at St. Mark's on Sunday morning.

Changing demographics, a declining and aging membership, and economic pressures forced the congregation to make some tough decisions, and rather than close completely or move to the suburbs, it voted to merge with another historic Toledo church, Trinity Episcopal downtown.

Friday's service, being held on the Feast of the Epiphany, in some ways marks the completion of a circle for the two congregations.

"It's interesting that St. Mark's began as a mission Sunday school of Trinity Church, actually beginning in the rectory of Trinity Church in 1888," said Ohio Bishop Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., who will preside at the evensong service.

More here-

http://www.toledoblade.com/Religion/2012/01/06/Historic-St-Mark-s-Episcopal-Trinity-downtown-to-merge.html

St. James celebrates 250 years

2012-01-05T08:55:00.002-05:00

From Connecticut-

On Jan. 15, St. James Episcopal Church will begin a yearlong celebration of its 250-year history of service in Danbury.

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will celebrate the Eucharist and preach at the 10 a.m. service at the church, 25 West St.

Jefferts Schori, former bishop of Nevada, is the 26th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church's 2.4 million members in 16 countries and 110 dioceses, ecumenical officer and primate, joining leaders of the other 38 Anglican provinces in consultation for global good and reconciliation.

Jefferts Schori was elected at the 75th General Convention on June 18, 2006, and invested at Washington National Cathedral on Nov. 4, 2006.

On Jan. 15, after church, a celebratory lunch is planned at the Amber Room Colonnade. While the service is open to all, reservations are required for the lunch.

Multi-church shelter finds niche

2012-01-05T08:38:00.002-05:00

From Massachusetts-

Joanne Keefe and a handful of others ducked out of Wednesday's cold into St. John's Episcopal Church for the fourth day the Grace Center has been open since starting up last month.

The center, she said, offers a place for the city's homeless and others who need a place to stay warm during the day. Aside from Sawyer Free Library and the Rose Baker Senior Center, there aren't other places for them.

Grace Center opened Dec. 22. Since then, said the Rev. Tom Bentley, pastor at Trinity Congregational Church next door, the program has served about 12 to 15 people each day. It's open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week; it's a traveling day center at the moment, and bounces each day between Trinity, St. John's and the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church on Middle Street.

More here-

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x1666061104/Multi-church-shelter-finds-niche

Southern Africa archbishop tells Mugabe to end church persecution

2012-01-05T07:13:00.002-05:00

From ENS-

The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town has called on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to put an end to persecution of the Anglican Church after state police on Jan. 3 broke up the annual prayer retreat of clergy from the Diocese of Harare.

About 80 diocesan priests were meeting at Peterhouse School in Marondera, capital of Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland East province, when police intervened and halted the gathering, reportedly on the grounds that it had not received official legal clearance.

Cape Town Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, called the police action shocking and deplorable.

“I call on President Mugabe to ensure that the religious freedom of all Zimbabweans, and especially persecuted Anglicans, is respected, and to instruct the police to allow the churches freedom of assembly and worship,” Makgoba said in a Jan. 4 statement.

A statement released by the Harare diocese said: “We deplore this action and call upon higher authorities to intervene. So much for freedom of religion.”

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/01/04/southern-africa-archbishop-tells-mugabe-to-end-church-persecution/

National Cathedral appoints interim dean to oversee church amid rebuilding after earthquake

2012-01-05T07:11:00.002-05:00

From The Washington Post-

A longtime Episcopal priest who led the St. Alban’s Parish in Washington has been appointed interim dean of Washington National Cathedral.

The cathedral announced Wednesday that its governing board asked the Rev. Dr. Francis H. Wade to serve in a part-time role as dean to help transition to a new leader for the cathedral.

The massive church is in the midst of rebuilding after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in August caused stonework to fall off its towers and cracks to form in parts of the building.

The Rev. Dr. Samuel Lloyd III stepped down as dean in September. He returned to Boston’s Trinity Church, Copley Square, where he previously served as rector.

The cathedral is also searching for a new permanent dean with hopes of having someone in place this year.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/national-cathedral-appoints-interim-dean-to-oversee-church-amid-rebuilding-after-earthquake/2012/01/04/gIQACeACbP_story.html

Why I Stayed

2012-01-05T07:08:00.002-05:00

From Virtue Online-

The Apostolic Constitution; Anglicanorum Coetibus, was announced on November 4, 2009 and it provided a significant hope of increased unity within Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church seemed to be opening its doors in a new and wonderful way for Anglicans around the world that had become disaffected by the increasingly bizarre innovations within the Anglican Communion especially the Episcopal Church. During the subsequent months this new approach to Christian unity started to wind its way through the massive organization which is the Roman Church.

During that same time, the legal battles between the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania and the Rt. Rev. David Moyer, rector of The Church of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, Pennsylvania continued. The Episcopal Diocese requested the Pennsylvania Court remove Fr. Moyer as the church rector and the vestry of Good Shepherd arguing that Fr. Moyer not be allowed to remain as he was now a bishop in another Anglican jurisdiction.

For many within the Church of the Good Shepherd the Anglican Ordinariate in America was viewed with great hope. A traditional Anglican body was to be accepted into the Roman Catholic Church. It was viewed as a theological safe haven.

The two threads came together in September 2011. In a final order entered on August 25, 2011, Judge Stanley Ott of the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas ordered Moyer and two members of the vestry removed from their offices. Moyer, members of the vestry and a significant number of parishioners departed Good Shepherd, Rosemont and formed the Blessed John Henry Newman Fellowship. The members of this fellowship began preparations for joining the Anglican Ordinariate.

More here-

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=15391#.TwWSRZjMefQ

Vatican launches Catholic home for U.S. Episcopalians

2012-01-05T07:02:00.002-05:00

From USA Today-

American Episcopalians upset with their denomination's acceptance of gay and female clergy can now convert to the Roman Catholic Church while keeping many cherished traditions in a special new U.S. diocese that was established on Sunday by Pope Benedict XVI.

The Houston-based diocese, called the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, will allow a special Anglican-style Catholic Mass that can include sections from the Book of Common Prayer and other Anglican liturgies.

This new structure grew out of a controversial 2009 effort by Pope Benedict to convince conservative Anglicans to align with Rome under an exemption that allows Anglican priests, laity, and even entire congregations to convert while keeping their prized music and prayers.
Bishops who convert under the rite will be allowed to function as Catholic priests, but not as bishops. Married Anglican male priests will be able to remain married and serve as Catholic priests, though unmarried priests who join will not be able to marry later without renouncing their priesthood.

More here-

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-01-04/anglican-catholic/52377588/1